---
title: grindstone — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «grindstone» in the school dictionary: A flat round stone that turns on an axle, used to sharpen tools such as axes and knives. «Keep your nose to the grindstone» means keep working hard without a rest. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# grindstone

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** flat round stone, farmer, Dad, He · **What happens:** turn, use, sharpen, keep, mean, work · **To what, where:** axle, tools, nose, grindstone, scythe, knife · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«grindstone» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [grindstone in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/grindstone.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A flat round stone that turns on an axle, used to sharpen tools such as axes and knives. «Keep your nose to the grindstone» means keep working hard without a rest.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A flat round stone that turns on an axle, used to sharpen tools such as axes and knives.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:grindstone:m1:1
# text = A flat round stone that turns on an axle, used to sharpen tools such as axes and knives.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	flat	flat	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	round	round	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	stone	stone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	axle	axle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	sharpen	sharpen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	advcl	_	_
14	tools	tool	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obj	_	_
15	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	17	case	_	_
16	as	as	ADP	IN	_	15	fixed	_	_
17	axes	ax	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	knives	knife	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | a flat round stone |  |  | a axle |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme on axle=Trajectory |
| 2 | **use** | participle |  | a axle *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **sharpen** | to-infinitive |  | tools |  |  |  | such axes and knives | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent tool=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* «Keep your nose to the grindstone» means keep working hard without a rest.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:grindstone:m1:2
# text = «Keep your nose to the grindstone» means keep working hard without a rest.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Keep	keep	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	9	nsubj	_	_
3	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	nose	nose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	grindstone	grindstone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
9	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	ccomp	_	_
11	working	work	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	xcomp	_	_
12	hard	hard	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	11	advmod	_	_
13	without	without	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	rest	rest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | your nose |  |  |  | to the grindstone | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nose=Theme |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **keep** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **work** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | without a rest; hard *property* | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The farmer turned the grindstone to sharpen the scythe.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:grindstone:x1:1
# text = The farmer turned the grindstone to sharpen the scythe.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	grindstone	grindstone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	sharpen	sharpen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	scythe	scythe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | past | the farmer | the grindstone |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent grindstone=Theme |
| 2 | **sharpen** | to-infinitive | the farmer *not said here* | the scythe |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent scythe=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dad sharpened the knife on the grindstone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:grindstone:x2:1
# text = Dad sharpened the knife on the grindstone.
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sharpened	sharpen	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	knife	knife	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	grindstone	grindstone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sharpen** | past | Dad | the knife |  | the grindstone |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent knife=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had to keep his nose to the grindstone all week.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:grindstone:x3:1
# text = He had to keep his nose to the grindstone all week.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	nose	nose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	grindstone	grindstone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	det	_	_
11	week	week	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **keep** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | his nose |  |  | week | to the grindstone | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nose=Theme |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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