Library / English Dictionary

GRIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: grinned    , grinning   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

Synonyms:

grin; grinning; smile; smiling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("grin" is a kind of...):

facial expression; facial gesture (a gesture executed with the facial muscles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "grin"):

simper (a silly self-conscious smile)

smirk (a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure)

Derivation:

grin (to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

To draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "grin" is one way to...):

smile (change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

grin (a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement)

grinner (a person who grins)

grinning (a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement)

Credits

 Context examples: 

His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

At every jump of the schooner, red-cap slipped to and fro, but—what was ghastly to behold—neither his attitude nor his fixed teeth-disclosing grin was anyway disturbed by this rough usage.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Three men from a neighboring tent came out and looked on, grinning and winking at one another.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“So 'tis, sir, so 'tis, sir,” said Ham, grinning.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He grinned and blinked and bowed until his colleague turned and walked away.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It would make them sometimes hug, and sometimes tear one another; they would howl, and grin, and chatter, and reel, and tumble, and then fall asleep in the mud.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The leader of the Winged Monkeys flew up to her, his long, hairy arms stretched out and his ugly face grinning terribly; but he saw the mark of the Good Witch's kiss upon her forehead and stopped short, motioning the others not to touch her.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

While we made our way along it we heard the rattle of a carriage coming towards us and stood aside to let it pass. As it drove by us I caught a glimpse through the closed window of a horribly contorted, grinning face glaring out at us.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then he flattered himself that he looked like a true Briton, but the first time he had the mud cleaned off his shoes, the little bootblack knew that an American stood in them, and said, with a grin, There yer har, sir.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The sailor grinned and passed him a fragment of sea biscuit.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)