grits

(noun) coarsely ground hulled corn boiled as a breakfast dish in the southern United States. Synonyms: hominy grits.

(noun) a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone. Synonyms: grit, gritrock, gritstone.

(noun) fortitude and determination. Synonyms: backbone, grit, guts, moxie, sand, gumption. Example: "He didn't have the guts to try it."

(verb) cover with a grit. Synonyms: grit. Example: "Grit roads."

(verb) clench together. Synonyms: grit. Example: "Grit one's teeth."