gruel
UK[ˈɡruːəl]US[ˈɡruːəl]
n
A thin liquid food made by boiling oatmeal or another meal in water or milk.
Etymology
The word 'gruel' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'gruel', meaning a fine meal. This Old French term likely derived from Frankish or another Germanic source, related to the word 'grut', meaning coarse meal or dregs. The semantic journey connects the concept of ground grains or coarse particles to the simple, thin porridge made from them. Its modern meaning has consistently referred to this plain, often meager, sustenance, reflecting its humble culinary origins.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword from Old French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
In the orphanage, the children were often given nothing but a bowl of thin gruel for their supper.
After his illness, he was on a bland diet of gruel and boiled vegetables for a week.
The historical novel described the poor surviving on watery gruel during the famine.