noun
grindstone
GRYN-stohn
noun
1
A rotating stone wheel used for sharpening or smoothing tools and blades.
"He sharpened the axe blade against the grindstone."
How to Use Grindstone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stone wheel for sharpening tools — famous today mostly through the idiom "keep your nose to the grindstone," meaning to work hard without stopping.
Common pairings
keep your nose to the grindstone
sharpen on the grindstone
Word Forms
grindstones plural
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Etymology
From Middle English grindstan, a straightforward combination of grind and stone.