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Definition of the nitty-gritty noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

the nitty-gritty

noun
 
/ðə ˌnɪti ˈɡrɪti/
 
/ðə ˌnɪti ˈɡrɪti/
[singular] (informal)
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  1. the basic or most important details of an issue or a situation
    • Time ran out before we could get down to the real nitty-gritty.
    More Like This Reduplicative wordsReduplicative words
    Word Origin1960s: of unknown origin.
See the nitty-gritty in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: the nitty-gritty

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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