Crushes something into small pieces or powder, or does something monotonous and difficult repeatedly with effort.
From Old English 'grindan,' related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning to crush or pulverize. The metaphorical sense of difficult, repetitive work came later because grinding grain was exhausting labor.
The phrase 'college grinds'—meaning intense, tedious studying—emerged because preparing grain by hand was one of the most exhausting jobs in pre-industrial life, making 'grinding' the perfect metaphor for soul-crushing work!
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