Grine

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. An archaic verb meaning to bare the teeth in a grin or a snarl, as a sign of pleasure, scorn, or threat
2. Old-fashioned word for showing the teeth in a broad smile or a menacing snarl
3. Archaic form of grin, meaning to draw back the lips and display the teeth in a smile or sneer

Etymology: Before "grin" meant a cheerful smile, it meant showing your teeth in a snarl. The Old English "grennian" described a dog or a hostile person baring its teeth, and the friendlier sense of pleasure came later. The archaic form "grine," with its final silent "e," is simply an older spelling of the same verb, preserved in older texts after the spelling had changed. The word belongs to a family of Germanic verbs for grimacing and crying out. Old Norse "grenja," meaning to howl, and German "greinen," meaning to weep or whine, share a similar sound and a sense of distorted facial expression. Their exact relationship is debated, so the link is best treated as a likely family resemblance rather than a settled descent.