a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States
"He ordered a classic grinder at the deli, packed tightly with pastrami, salami, melted provolone, and fresh vegetables."
machinery that processes materials by grinding or crushing
"The factory installed a new stone grinder to crush the raw ore into fine powder before smelting."
a machine tool that polishes metal
"The factory worker carefully guided the rough steel beam through the grinder to smooth out its jagged edges before painting it."
One who grinds something, such as the teeth.
"The dentist warned that using a grinder on your front teeth could cause permanent damage to your smile."
In plain English: A grinder is someone who works hard at their job to earn money, often doing manual labor all day long.
"The old coffee grinder made a loud noise while I was making my morning brew."
Usage: Avoid using "grinder" to describe a person's profession unless specifically referring to someone who operates grinding machinery; for general manual laborers, terms like worker or operator are clearer. In informal contexts, it is also frequently used as slang for a sandwich shop that serves hot dogs and fries.
A surname.
"My neighbor, Mr. Grinder, is a retired mechanic who lives down the street."
The word comes directly from the Old English term grindere, meaning "one who grinds." It traveled into modern usage by simply adding the suffix "-er" to describe a person or thing used for grinding.