Grunt definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GRUNT, v.i. [L. grunnio; Heb. to cry out, to murmur.]
To murmur like a hog; to utter a short groan or a deep guttural sound.
GRUNT, n. A deep guttural sound, as a hog.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the short low gruff noise of the kind made by hogs [syn: grunt, oink]
2: an unskilled or low-ranking soldier or other worker; "infantrymen in Vietnam were called grunts"; "he went from grunt to chairman in six years"
3: medium-sized tropical marine food fishes that utter grunting sounds when caught v
1: issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise; "He grunted his reluctant approval"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English grunnettan, frequentative of grunian, of imitative origin Date: before 12th century intransitive verb to utter a grunt transitive verb to utter with a grunt • grunter noun II. noun Date: 1553 1. a. the deep short sound characteristic of a hog b. a similar sound 2. [from the noise it makes when taken from the water] any of a family (Haemulidae syn. Pomadasyidae) of chiefly tropical marine bony fishes 3. a dessert made by dropping biscuit dough on top of boiling berries and steaming <blueberry grunt> 4. a. a United States army or marine foot soldier especially in the Vietnam War b. one who does routine unglamorous work — often used attributively <grunt work>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a low guttural sound made by a pig. 2 a sound resembling this. 3 any fish of the genus Haemulon that grunts when caught. --v. 1 intr. (of a pig) make a grunt or grunts. 2 intr. (of a person) make a low inarticulate sound resembling this, esp. to express discontent, dissent, fatigue, etc. 3 tr. utter with a grunt. Etymology: OE grunnettan, prob. orig. imit.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Redmouth Red"mouth` (-mouth`), n. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of marine food fishes of the genus Diabasis, or H[ae]mulon, of the Southern United States, having the inside of the mouth bright red. Called also flannelmouth, and grunt.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grunt Grunt (gr[u^]nt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Grunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Grunting.] [OE. grunten; akin to As. grunian, G. grunzen, Dan. grynte, Sw. grymta; all prob. of imitative; or perh. akin to E. groan.] To make a deep, short noise, as a hog; to utter a short groan or a deep guttural sound. Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life. --Shak. Grunting ox (Zo["o]l.), the yak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grunt Grunt, n. 1. A deep, guttural sound, as of a hog. 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of American food fishes, of the genus H[ae]mulon, allied to the snappers, as, the black grunt (A. Plumieri), and the redmouth grunt (H. aurolineatus), of the Southern United States; -- also applied to allied species of the genera Pomadasys, Orthopristis, and Pristopoma. Called also pigfish, squirrel fish, and grunter; -- so called from the noise it makes when taken.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(grunts, grunting, grunted) 1. If you grunt, you make a low sound, especially because you are annoyed or not interested in something. The driver grunted, convinced that Michael was crazy... 'Rubbish,' I grunted... He grunted his thanks. VERB: V, V with quote, V n • Grunt is also a noun. Their replies were no more than grunts of acknowledgement. N-COUNT: oft N of n 2. When an animal grunts, it makes a low rough noise. ...the sound of a pig grunting. VERB: V

Moby Thesaurus

Zouave, air a grievance, animal noise, bark, barking, bawl, beef, bellow, bellyache, bersagliere, birdcall, bitch, blare, blat, blubber, boom, bray, breathe, buzz, cackle, call, carabineer, chant, chasseur, chirp, clamor, clang, complain, coo, crab, croak, crow, cry, dogface, doughfoot, drawl, exclaim, expert rifleman, flute, foot soldier, footslogger, fret, fret and fume, fusileer, fuss, gasp, grenadier, gripe, groan, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, gruntle, hiss, holler, howl, howling, infantryman, keen, kick, light infantryman, lilt, lodge a complaint, marksman, mating call, mumble, murmur, musketeer, mutter, note, oink, paddlefoot, pant, pipe, raise a howl, register a complaint, rifle, rifleman, roar, rumble, scold, scream, screech, sharpshooter, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, snap, snarl, sniper, snort, sob, squall, squawk, squeal, stridulation, take on, thunder, trumpet, twang, ululation, wail, warble, whine, whisper, woodnote, yap, yawp, yell, yelp