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Original · left

Grinding (machining)

Shaping or finishing material by rubbing it against an abrasive wheel.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Grinding (video games)

Repeating the same task in a game, such as killing enemies, to earn experience, items or currency.

First in use: the 1990s

Grind / Grinding (machining) / Grinding (video games)

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Which meaning of Grind is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Grinding (machining) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Grinding (video games) arrived in the 1990s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Grinding (machining)Grinding (video games)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

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The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Grinding (machining)

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Duplicate · the 1990s

Grinding (video games)

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More duplicated terms

Gaming

Lag · Lag (video games)Respawn · Respawn (gaming)Boss · Boss (video games)Speedrun · SpeedrunEpic · Epic GamesValve · Valve (game company)Quake · Quake (video game)Fallout · Fallout (game series)Destiny · Destiny (video game)Overwatch · Overwatch (video game)Apex · Apex LegendsTwitch · Twitch (streaming)Rogue · RoguelikeNerf · Nerf (game balance)Loot · Loot boxSkin · Skin (video games)Mod · Game modRaid · Raid (video games)