gristmill
UK[ˈɡrɪstˌmɪl]US[ˈɡrɪstˌmɪl]
n
a mill for grinding grain, especially one that is powered by water or wind.
Morpheme Breakdown
grist
mill
grist
grain to be ground
mill
machine for grinding
Etymology
the word 'gristmill' is a transparent compound from old english. 'grist' originates from the old english verb 'grīstan', meaning 'to grind', and referred specifically to grain that was brought to be ground. 'mill' comes from old english 'mylen', which itself was borrowed from late latin 'molīna', a derivative of 'mola' (millstone). the compound literally means 'a mill for grinding grist'. its formation follows a straightforward pattern in english where two nouns are combined to specify a type of machine (mill) by its function (processing grist). the term has remained semantically stable, precisely describing a mill whose primary purpose is to grind grain into flour.
Analysis
Structure: grist (grain to be ground) + mill (machine for grinding)
grist (old english, meaning 'grinding'); mill (old english, from latin 'mola', meaning 'millstone, mill')
Examples
the old gristmill by the river has been restored as a historical landmark.
farmers would bring their grain to the local gristmill to be turned into flour.
the sound of the waterwheel was a constant presence near the village gristmill.