A grinder is a regional American name for a sandwich served on a long roll, particularly in New England. Fillings may include cold cuts, cheese, vegetables, or hot ingredients such as meatballs. Usage overlaps with terms such as sub and hoagie, but local meanings vary.
In a kitchen-equipment context, grinder can instead mean a tool that breaks food into smaller pieces, such as a meat grinder, coffee grinder, or spice grinder. The intended meaning depends on context; this entry describes the sandwich.