grin

• (US) enPR: grĭn, IPA^(key): /ɡɹɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪn

Before 1000 CE - From Middle English grinnen, from Old English grennian; compare to Old High German grennan (“to mutter”)

A stylized grin.

grin (plural grins)

1. A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.
   • 1997, Linda Howard, Son of the Morning, Simon & Schuster, pages 364:

     When the ceremony was finished a wide grin broke across his face, and it was that grin she 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 wide grin and opened his arms to embrace him.

grin (third-person singular simple present grins, present participle grinning, simple past and past participle grinned)

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

   Why do you grin?  Did I say something funny?

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess‎:

     ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at 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.

   She grinned pleasure at his embarrassment.

   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     Grinned horrible a ghastly smile.

   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     "Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," 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.
   • (Can we date this quote?) William Shakespeare

     The pangs of death do make him grin.

   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], OCLC 752825175, page 030:

     They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so 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.

   He grinned a broad smile when I told him the result.

   He grinned a cruel sneer when I begged him to stop.

• grimace
• smile

Old English

grin (plural grins)

1. (obsolete) A snare; a gin.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Remedy of Love

     Like a bird that hasteth to his grin.

• NGRI, Ring, girn, ring

• IPA^(key): /ɡriːn/, [ɡ̊ʁiːˀn]

grin n (singular definite grinet, plural indefinite grin)

1. laugh
2. grin
3. fun

grin

1. imperative of grine

• “grin” in Den Danske Ordbog

From the verb grine

grin n (definite singular grinet, indefinite plural grin, definite plural grina or grinene)

1. a grimace
2. a sneer

• “grin” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “grin_2” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

From the verb grine, grina

grin n (definite singular grinet, indefinite plural grin, definite plural grina)

1. a grimace
2. a sneer

grin

1. present tense of grina
2. imperative of grina

• “grin” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From English green.

grin

1. green

• Audio

  (file)

grīn

1. green