Standard Lemma guide

meatgrinder

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmiːtɡɹaɪndə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A device for cutting meat into very small pieces.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Keep your fingers away from the throat of the meatgrinder.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An activity with a high casualty or attrition rate, such as a military battle or an occupational or athletic activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • The mountainous second day of the race was a real meatgrinder, with 20% of racers dropping out.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Senate confirmation hearings are a real meatgrinder, discouraging people from government service.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From meat + grinder.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: فَرّامَةُ لَحْم (farrāmatu laḥm) — device for cutting meat
  • Armenian: մսաղաց (msaġacʻ) — device for cutting meat
  • Azerbaijani: ətçəkən — device for cutting meat
  • Belarusian: мясару́бка (mjasarúbka) — device for cutting meat
  • Bulgarian: месомелачка (mesomelačka) — device for cutting meat
  • Catalan: picadora — device for cutting meat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 絞肉機 /绞肉机 (jiǎoròujī) — device for cutting meat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 碎肉器 (suìròuqì) — device for cutting meat
  • Czech: mlýnek na maso — device for cutting meat
  • Danish: kødhakkemaskine — device for cutting meat
  • Danish: hakkemaskine — device for cutting meat
  • Dutch: gehaktmolen — device for cutting meat
  • Estonian: hakklihamasin — device for cutting meat
  • Faroese: kjøtkvørn — device for cutting meat
  • Faroese: kvørn — device for cutting meat
  • Finnish: lihamylly — device for cutting meat
  • French: hachoir — device for cutting meat
  • Georgian: ხორცსაკეპი (xorcsaḳeṗi) — device for cutting meat
  • German: Fleischwolf — device for cutting meat
  • Hungarian: húsdaráló — device for cutting meat
  • Icelandic: hakkavél — device for cutting meat
  • Italian: tritacarne — device for cutting meat
  • Japanese: 挽肉機 (hikinikuki) — device for cutting meat
  • Japanese: 挽肉器 (hikinikuki) — device for cutting meat
  • Japanese: ミンサー (minsā) — device for cutting meat
  • Kazakh: еттартқыш (ettartqyş) — device for cutting meat
  • Korean: 세절기 (sejeolgi) — device for cutting meat
  • Kyrgyz: эт туурагыч машина (et tuuragıc maşina) — device for cutting meat
  • Kyrgyz: эт тарткыч (et tartkıc) — device for cutting meat
  • Lithuanian: mėsmalė — device for cutting meat
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjøttkvern — device for cutting meat
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kvern — device for cutting meat
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kvern — device for cutting meat
  • Persian: چرخ گوشت (čarx-e gušt) — device for cutting meat
  • Polish: maszynka do mięsa — device for cutting meat
  • Portuguese: moedor de carne — device for cutting meat
  • Romanian: mașină de tocat — device for cutting meat
  • Russian: мясору́бка (mjasorúbka) — device for cutting meat
  • Slovak: mlynček na mäso — device for cutting meat
  • Spanish: picadora — device for cutting meat
  • Spanish: máquina de picar carne — device for cutting meat
  • Spanish: picadora de carne — device for cutting meat
  • Swedish: köttkvarn — device for cutting meat
  • Swedish: hackmaskin — device for cutting meat
  • Tajik: гӯшткӯбак (güštkübak) — device for cutting meat
  • Tajik: гӯштқимакунак (güštqimakunak) — device for cutting meat
  • Tajik: мошини гӯшткӯбӣ (mošin-i güštkübi) — device for cutting meat
  • Turkish: kıyma makinesi — device for cutting meat
  • Udmurt: сӥлькоран (siľkoran) — device for cutting meat
  • Ukrainian: м'ясору́бка (mʺjasorúbka) — device for cutting meat
  • Uzbek: myasorubka — device for cutting meat
  • Uzbek: goʻshtqiymalagich — device for cutting meat
  • Vietnamese: máy băm thịt — device for cutting meat
  • Welsh: grinder cig — device for cutting meat
  • Welsh: malwr cig — device for cutting meat
  • Belarusian: мясару́бка (mjasarúbka) — physically dangerous or wearing activity
  • Finnish: verilöyly — physically dangerous or wearing activity
  • Polish: maszynka do mięsa — physically dangerous or wearing activity
  • Russian: мясору́бка (mjasorúbka) — physically dangerous or wearing activity
  • Ukrainian: м'ясору́бка (mʺjasorúbka) — physically dangerous or wearing activity
  • Belarusian: мясару́бка (mjasarúbka) — process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way
  • Finnish: piinapenkki — process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way
  • Polish: maszynka do mięsa — process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way
  • Russian: мясору́бка (mjasorúbka) — process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way
  • Ukrainian: м'ясору́бка (mʺjasorúbka) — process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way