What does gristle mean?
Gristle names the tough, fibrous connective tissue that forms cartilage and occurs in various forms in meat. Because this tissue is hard and resilient, gristle can also be used figuratively for a person regarded as contemptible, weak, or insignificant. In cooking, it is often associated with slow-cooked dishes and can be chewy or gelatinous rather than tender. The word is most often encountered in British and American English in formal writing, literary contexts, or discussions of anatomy and food. An older expression, “bone and gristle,” evokes the physical framework of the body, while modern figurative uses have often carried a disparaging or deliberately archaic tone. Gristle is consequently both a precise term for a distinctive type of connective tissue and a memorable example of how English can move from describing physical substance to describing character.
nounGristle is the tough connective tissue of which cartilage is composed, especially when found in meat. By extension, it can refer to a contemptible or insignificant person.
- Tough connective tissue, especially cartilage or the fibrous tissue found in meat.
- A contemptible, insignificant, or weak person.
"The stew was full of chewy pieces of gristle."
"He examined the piece of meat and picked out a long strip of gristle."
"The old film used 'gristle' as a disparaging term for anyone he considered spineless."
The word is usually treated as a mass noun. The plural gristles is uncommon and is used when referring to separate pieces of gristle.
"Small gristles remained in the broth after the meat had broken apart."
Gristle is the body's tough connective tissue—and, in an old-fashioned insult, a contemptible person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gristle come from?
Gristle comes from Old English gristle, meaning cartilage, and was established in English by the medieval period. It is a Germanic word cognate with Old Norse gristle, which likewise referred to cartilage or tough connective tissue. The later figurative sense for a contemptible person developed from the physical word's associations with toughness and an unappealing quality.
How gristle is actually used
The literal word is formal and somewhat literary, though it is especially common in culinary contexts. The figurative sense is derogatory and may sound old-fashioned or theatrical.
Easily confused with gristle
Gristle means tough connective tissue or, figuratively, a contemptible person, whereas grizzle most commonly means to complain or whine.