Dictionary Definition
grist n : grain intended to be or that has been
ground
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Derived terms
Extensive Definition
- For the publication, see Grist Magazine.
Grist is grain that has been separated from
its chaff in preparation
for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a
grist
mill. Its etymology derives from the
verb grind.
Grist can be ground into meal or flour, depending on how coarsely
it is ground. Maize made into grist
is called grits when it is
coarse, and corn meal when
it is finely ground. Wheat, oats, barley, and buckwheat are also ground and
sifted into flour and farina.
Grist is also used in brewing and distillation to make a
mash.
“Grist for the mill”
The proverb “all is grist for the
mill” means “everything can be made useful, or be a source of
profit.” There are some minor variations, such as "all's grist that
comes to my/his/her mill", meaning that the person in question can
make something positive out of anything that comes along.
A miller ground whatever grain was
brought to him, and charged a portion of the final product for the
service. Therefore, all grain arriving at the mill represented
income, regardless of its quality. The first recorded usage was in
the sixteenth century, but the term is probably much older. The
term “gristmill” was
once common in the United
States and Britain
to describe a small mill open to all comers.
In Software
The term grist in software interpreters (such as
a Unix
shell) refers to the addition of characters before and/or after
a parameter to ensure uniqueness to the interpreter. For example,
in a UNIX shell if there is a file named "-f" in the current
directory, the following command:
> rm -f
Will not work because "-f" is interpreted as an
option to the "rm" command. Rather, one needs to "add grist" to get
the appropriate behavior:
> rm ./-f
In this case, "./" is grist because it prevents
"-f" from being interpreted as an option.
See also
References
- Quinion Michael (4 July 1996). The Miller's Tale. via World Wide Words.
grist in Simple English: Grist