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Origin and history of grindstone

grindstone(n.)

early 13c. "millstone," from grind (v.) in sense of "sharpen" + stone (n.); meaning

"revolving stone disc used for sharpening, etc." is from c. 1400. Phrase nose to the grindstone in use by 1530s; originally to get control of another and treat him harshly:

This Text holdeth their noses so hard to the grindstone, that it clean disfigureth their Faces. [John Frith, "Mirror to know Thyself," 1532]

The phrase's main modern (reflexive) sense of "working hard" is from 1828.

also from early 13c.

Entries linking to grindstone

grind(v.)

Old English grindan "to rub together, crush into powder, grate, scrape," forgrindan "destroy by crushing" (class III strong verb; past tense grand, past participle grunden), from Proto-Germanic *grindanan (source also of Dutch grenden), related to ground (v.), from PIE *ghrendh- "to grind" (source also of Latin frendere "to gnash the teeth," Greek khondros "corn, grain," Lithuanian grendu, gręsti "to scrape, scratch"). Meaning "to make smooth or sharp by friction" is from c. 1300. Most other Germanic languages use a verb cognate with Latin molere (compare Dutch malen, Old Norse mala, German mahlen).

stone(n.)

"discrete piece of rock," especially not a large one, Old English stan, which was used of common rocks, precious gems, concretions in the body, memorial stones, from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (source also of Old Norse steinn, Danish steen, Old Saxon sten, Old Frisian sten, Dutch steen, Old High German stein, German Stein, Gothic stains).

This is reconstructed to be from PIE *stoi-no-, suffixed form of root *stai- "stone," also "to thicken, stiffen" (source also of Sanskrit styayate "curdles, becomes hard;" Avestan stay- "heap;" Greek stear "fat, tallow," stia, stion "pebble;" Old Church Slavonic stena, Russian stiena "wall").

From late 12c. as "substance of which stones consist, rock, stone as a medium." The sense of "testicle" was in late Old English. The British measure of weight (usually equal to 14 pounds) is from late 14c., originally a specific stone.

Stone-fruit, "drupe, fruit with a hard stone or nut at the center," is from 1520s. Stone's throw for "a short distance" is attested from 1580s; stone's cast in the same sense is from late 13c., also "a short time." Stone age, "period of human cultural development marked by tools or weapons made of stone," is from 1864; adjectival extended sense of "outmoded, unsophisticated" is by 1927.

To kill two birds with one stone "accomplish two purposes with one act" is attested by 1650s. To leave no stone unturned "use every possible expedient" is from 1540s.

To have a heart of stone figuratively is by late 14c. (in a list of 1897 slang terms, to refuse a person's appeal is to give him the marble heart).

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