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Grit vs Temerity - What's the difference?

grit | temerity | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between grit and temerity

is that grit is collection of hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding, swarf from metalworking while temerity is reckless boldness; foolish bravery.

As a verb grit

is to clench, particularly in reaction to pain or anger; apparently only appears in gritting one's teeth.

As an adjective Grit

is of or belonging to the Liberal Party of Canada.

grit

English

Etymology 1

With early modern vowel shortening, from (etyl) grete, griet, from (etyl) ‘lump’).

Noun

(-)
  • Collection of hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding, swarf from metalworking.
  • The flower beds were white with grit from sand blasting the flagstone walkways.
  • Inedible particles in food.
  • It tastes like grit from nutshells in these cookies.
  • Firmness of mind; invincible spirit; unyielding courage or fearlessness; fortitude.
  • That kid with the cast on his arm has the grit to play dodgeball.
  • A measure of relative coarseness of an abrasive material such as sandpaper.
  • I need a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper.
  • (geology) A hard, coarse-grained siliceous sandstone; gritstone. Also, to a finer sharp-grained sandstone, e.g. grindstone grit .
  • Derived terms
    * *
    See also
    * debris * mortar and pestle * swarf

    Verb

  • To clench, particularly in reaction to pain or anger; apparently only appears in gritting one's teeth .
  • We had no choice but to grit our teeth and get on with it.
    He has a sleeping disorder and grits his teeth.
  • To cover with grit .
  • To give forth a grating sound, like sand under the feet; to grate; to grind.
  • * Goldsmith
  • The sanded floor that grits beneath the tread.
    Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) gryt ‘bran, chaff’, from (etyl) grytt, from (etyl) . See above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (usually in plural) husked]] but unground [[oat, oats
  • (usually in plural) coarsely ground corn or hominy used as porridge
  • Anagrams

    * girt * trig

    temerity

    English

    Noun

  • (not countable) Reckless boldness; foolish bravery.
  • * 1569 , Thomas Pearson, trans., "The Second Paradox," in The booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero entituled Paradoxa Stoicorum , T. Marshe (London),
  • Neyther the spightfull temerity and rashnes of variable fortune, nor the envious hart burning and in iurious hatred of mine enemies shold be able once to damnify me.
  • * 1837 , , The Pickwick Papers , ch. 17,
  • One day when he knew old Lobbs was out, Nathaniel Pipkin had the temerity to kiss his hand to Maria Lobbs.
  • * 1886 , , The Mayor of Casterbridge , ch. 21
  • Elizabeth trotted through the open door in the dusk, but becoming alarmed at her own temerity , she went quickly out again by another which stood open in the lofty wall of the back court.
  • * 1913 , , The Return of Tarzan , ch. 21,
  • I am surprised that you, sir, a man of letters yourself, should have the temerity so to interrupt the progress of science.
  • (countable) An act or case of reckless boldness.
  • * 1910 , , "The Blond Beast," Scribner's Magazine , vol. 48 (Sept),
  • Draper, dear lad, had the illusion of an "intellectual sympathy" between them.... Draper's temerities would always be of that kind.
  • (not countable) Effrontery; impudence.
  • * 1820 , , Precaution , ch. 30,
  • He had very nearly been guilty of the temerity of arrogating to himself another title in the presence of those he most respected.

    Synonyms

    * (reckless boldness): audacity, foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness * (effrontery): brashness, cheek, gall, chutzpah

    References

    * * * * * " temerity" in the Wordsmyth Dictionary-Thesaurus (Wordsmyth, 2002) * " temerity" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007) * * Oxford English Dictionary , second edition (1989) * Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996) * *