From Middle English grinnen, from Old English grennian, from Proto-West Germanic *grannjōn, from Proto-Germanic *granjōną. Related to groan. Compare to Middle High German grennen (“to mutter, complain”) and Danish grine (“to show one's teeth, to laugh”)
Meanings
A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal the teeth.
When the ceremony was finished a wide grin broke across his face, and it was that grin she saw, relieved and happy all at once. 1997, Linda Howard, Son of the Morning, Simon & Schuster, page 364:
When my son appeared at the door the next day with his schoolbag on his back, the Professor broke into a wide grin and opened his arms to embrace him. 2003, Yoko Ogawa, The Housekeeper and the Professor:
es sonrisa amplia (A smile revealing the teeth) · it sorriso (A smile revealing the teeth) · es sonrisa abierta (A smile revealing the teeth) · fr sourire (A smile revealing the teeth) · cmn 露齿而笑 (A smile revealing the teeth) · ms sengihan (A smile revealing the teeth) · da grin (A smile revealing the teeth) · uk у́смішка (A smile revealing the teeth) · bg крива усмивка (A smile revealing the teeth) · mrw ngimel (A smile revealing the teeth) · de Grinsen (A smile revealing the teeth) · uk по́смішка (A smile revealing the teeth) · izh irvissös (A smile revealing the teeth) · sv flin (A smile revealing the teeth) · ceb yuhom (A smile revealing the teeth) · sh кез (A smile revealing the teeth) · sv leende (A smile revealing the teeth) · pt sorriso aberto (A smile revealing the teeth) · mi pakiri (A smile revealing the teeth) · nb glis (A smile revealing the teeth) · ga straoise (A smile revealing the teeth) · nl grijns (A smile revealing the teeth) · pl szeroki uśmiech (A smile revealing the teeth) · sh cerek (A smile revealing the teeth) · pl banan (A smile revealing the teeth) · sh церек (A smile revealing the teeth) · kzj ngingis (A smile revealing the teeth) · hu vigyor (A smile revealing the teeth) · pl uśmiech od ucha do ucha (A smile revealing the teeth) · sk úškrn (A smile revealing the teeth) · ru ухмы́лка (A smile revealing the teeth) · ru усме́шка (A smile revealing the teeth) · hu vigyorgás (A smile revealing the teeth) · sh kez (A smile revealing the teeth) · fi virnistys (A smile revealing the teeth) · is glott (A smile revealing the teeth) · fi virne (A smile revealing the teeth)
From Middle English grinnen, from Old English grennian, from Proto-West Germanic *grannjōn, from Proto-Germanic *granjōną. Related to groan. Compare to Middle High German grennen (“to mutter, complain”) and Danish grine (“to show one's teeth, to laugh”)
Meanings
(intransitive) To smile, parting the lips so as to show the teeth.
Why do you grin? Did I say something funny?
‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’ 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
(transitive) To express by grinning.
Grinned horrible a ghastly smile. 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
She grinned pleasure at his embarrassment.
"Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day: "Mon dieu! Mon dieu! Che fais mourir!" 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
(dated, intransitive) To show the teeth, like a snarling dog.
They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too. 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
The pangs of death do make him grin. 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
(transitive) To grin as part of producing a particular facial expression, such as a smile or sneer.
He grinned a broad smile when I told him the result.
He grinned a cruel sneer when I begged him to stop.
From Middle English grin, grinne, grine, from Old English grin (“snare, noose”), of uncertain origin, but probably from the merger of Proto-West Germanic *garni and *garnī (“intestine”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *garniz, *garnō (“guts, intestine”). Related to English yarn.