grin

See also:grínandgrîn

English

Pronunciation

• enPR:grĭn,IPA^(key):/ɡɹɪn/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɪn

Etymology 1

Before 1000 CE - FromMiddle Englishgrinnen,fromOld Englishgrennian,ofGermanicorigin and probably related togroan.Compare toOld High Germangrennan(“to mutter”)andDanishgrine(“to show one's teeth, to laugh”)

Alternative forms

• gren(obsolete)

Noun

A stylized grin.

grin(pluralgrins)

1. Asmilein which thelipsare parted to reveal theteeth.
   • 1997,Linda Howard,Son of the Morning,Simon & Schuster, page364:

     When the ceremony was finished a widegrinbroke across his face, and it was thatgrinshe saw, relieved and happy all at once.

   • 2003,Yoko Ogawa,The Housekeeper and the Professor:

     When my son appeared at the door the next day with his schoolbag on his back, the Professor broke into a widegrinand opened his arms to embrace him.

Derived terms

• Chelsea grin
• coprophagous grin
• grip-and-grin

Translations

A smile revealing the teeth

• Bulgarian:крива усмивкаf(kriva usmivka)
• Cebuano:yuhom
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Cười nham nhở(zh)(lùchǐ'érxiào)

• Coastal Kadazan:ngingis
• Danish:grinn
• Dutch:grijns(nl)morf
• Finnish:virnistys(fi),virne(fi)
• French:sourire(fr)m
• Georgian:please add this translation if you can
• German:Grinsen(de)n
• Hungarian:vigyor(hu),vigyorgás(hu)
• Icelandic:glottn
• Ingrian:irvissös
• Irish:straoisef
• Italian:sorriso(it)m
• Malay:sengihan
• Maori:pakiri
• Maranao:ngimel
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:glisn

• Polish:banan(pl),uśmiech od ucha do ucha,szeroki uśmiech
• Portuguese:sorrisoabertom
• Russian:усме́шка(ru)f(usméška),ухмы́лка(ru)f(uxmýlka)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:кезm,церекm

  Roman:kezm,cerekm

• Slovak:úškrnm
• Spanish:sonrisaabiertaf,sonrisaampliaf
• Swedish:flin(sv)n
• Ukrainian:по́смішка(pósmiška),у́смішка(uk)(úsmiška)

Verb

grin(third-person singular simple presentgrins,present participlegrinning,simple past and past participlegrinned)

1. (intransitive)To smile, parting the lips so as to show the teeth.

   Why do yougrin?Did I say something funny?

   • 1963,Margery Allingham,chapter 15, inThe China Governess: A Mystery,London:Chatto & Windus,→OCLC:

     ‘No,’ said Luke,grinningat her. ‘You're not dull enough![…]What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’

2. (transitive)To express by grinning.

   Shegrinnedpleasure at his embarrassment.

   • 1667,John Milton,“Book II”, inParadise Lost.[…],London:[…][Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker[…];[a]nd by Robert Boulter[…];[a]nd Matthias Walker,[…],→OCLC;republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books:[…],London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…],1873,→OCLC:

     Grinnedhorrible a ghastly smile.

   • 1907August,Robert W[illiam] Chambers,chapter IV, inThe Younger Set,New York, N.Y.:D. Appleton & Company,→OCLC:

     "Mid-Lent, and the Enemygrins,"remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day:"Mon dieu! Mon dieu! Che fais mourir!"

3. (intransitive,dated)To show the teeth, like a snarling dog.
   • 1591(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Second Part of Henry the Sixt,[…]”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene iii]:

     The pangs of death do make himgrin.

   • 1879,R[ichard] J[efferies],chapter 1, inThe Amateur Poacher,London:Smith, Elder, & Co.,[…],→OCLC:

     They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that alwaysgrinnedso fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.

4. (transitive)To grin as part of producing a particular facial expression, such as a smile or sneer.

   Hegrinneda broad smile when I told him the result.

   Hegrinneda cruel sneer when I begged him to stop.

Derived terms

• fish-eating grin
• grin and bear it
• grin from ear to ear
• grin like a Cheshire cat
• grin like a mule eating briars
• pickin' and grinnin'
• picking and grinning
• shit-eating grin
• skin and grin

Translations

To smile showing the teeth

• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Cười nham nhở／Cười nham nhở(zh)(lùchǐ'érxiào)

• Danish:grine(da)
• Dutch:grijnzen(nl)
• Esperanto:rideti
• Finnish:virnistää(fi),virnistellä(fi),virnuilla
• French:sourire(fr)
• Georgian:კრეჭს(ḳreč̣s)
• German:grinsen(de)
• Hungarian:vigyorog(hu)
• Ingrian:irvistää
• Italian:sorridere(it)
• Malay:tersengih
• Maori:pakiri,mimingo kata
• Marathi:विचकणे(vicakṇe),बत्तिशी दाखवणे(battiśī dākhavṇe)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:glise(no)

• Polish:szczerzyć zęby,suszyć ząbki,szczerzyć się(pl)
• Portuguese:sorrirabertamente,arreganhar(pt)
• Russian:ухмыля́ться(ru)impf(uxmyljátʹsja),ухмыльну́ться(ru)pf(uxmylʹnútʹsja),усмеха́ться(ru)impf(usmexátʹsja),усмехну́ться(ru)pf(usmexnútʹsja)
• Spanish:sonreír(es)
• Swedish:flina(sv)
• Turkish:sırıtmak(tr)

See also

• grimace
• smile

Etymology 2

FromOld Englishgrin.

Noun

grin(pluralgrins)

1. (obsolete)Asnare;agin.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary,1884–1928, andFirst Supplement,1933.

Anagrams

• NGRI,Ring,girn,ring

Bislama

Etymology

FromEnglishgreen.

Adjective

grin

1. green

Danish

Etymology

Seegrine(“to laugh”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ɡriːn/,[ɡ̊ʁiːˀn]

Noun

grinn(singular definitegrinet,plural indefinitegrin)

1. laugh
2. grin
3. fun

Declension

Declension ofgrin

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	grin	grinet	grin	grinene
genitive	grins	grinets	grins	grinenes

Verb

grin

1. imperativeofgrine

References

• “grin”inDen Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the verbgrine.

Noun

grinn(definite singulargrinet,indefinite pluralgrin,definite pluralgrinaorgrinene)

1. agrimace
2. asneer

References

• “grin”inThe Bokmål Dictionary.
• “grin_2”inDet Norske Akademis ordbok(NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From the verbgrine,grina.

Noun

grinn(definite singulargrinet,indefinite pluralgrin,definite pluralgrina)

1. agrimace
2. asneer

Etymology 2

Verb

grin

1. inflection ofgrina:
   1. present
   2. imperative

References

• “grin”inThe Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

Unknown.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ɡrin/

Noun

grinm

1. snare
2. noose

Declension

Stronga-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	grin	grinas
accusative	grin	grinas
genitive	grines	grina
dative	grine	grinum

Descendants

• English:grin

Tok Pisin

Etymology

FromEnglishgreen.

Adjective

grin

1. green

Vilamovian

Etymology

FromMiddle High Germangrüene,fromOld High Germangruoni.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

grīn

1. green