Chinese Dictionary

Usage of the character 磨

grindstone
to grind
to turn round

to rub
to grind
to polish
to sharpen
to wear down
to die out
to waste time
to pester
to insist

to hone (a knife)

to grind up

to torment; to torture

grindstone

to carve and polish (jade)
to polish and refine a literary work

milling
to grind
to polish by grinding
to abrade
whetstone
pestle

freshly ground

to grumble
to chatter

grinding machine
grinder

to break in
to wear in

variant of 摩擦 (mócā)

a torment
a trial
tribulation
a cross (to bear)
well-tried

molar tooth

mill; grain mill; millstone

to grind one's teeth (during sleep)
pointless arguing
(coll.) molar

wear and tear
wearing out by friction

to scrub with an abrasive
to sand
frosted (e.g. glass)

to torture
to torment

see 磨練／磨练 (móliàn)

erosion
abrasion

sluggish
delaying

to polish; to burnish; to shine

karma (loanword)

to mill
to grind
grinding stone

(dialect) to dawdle
to waste time
also written 墨跡／墨迹 (mòji)

wear resistant

milling machine

to temper oneself
to steel oneself
self-discipline
endurance

lower millstone
tray of a mill

to suffer wear and tear; to deteriorate through use; to wear out

to torment
to torture

rotary grindstone

abrasive material

to ponder
to mull over
to think through
Taiwan pr. (zhuómó)

to argue pointlessly
to talk incessant nonsense
to blather

to wear down
to sap
to whittle away
to while away
to idle away

dawdling
to waste time

to pester
to bother sb incessantly
to delay
to prevaricate

electric mill (for grinding wheat etc)

to rub lightly
to move slowly; to dawdle; to dillydally
to pester; to nag

annoying
bothersome
to fret
to be peevish

to sharpen on grindstone
to improve oneself by practice

variant of 蘑菇 (mógu)

mill

whetstone
millstone

to obliterate
to erase

to polish

(dialect) to be very slow; to dawdle

see 球磨機／球磨机 (qiúmójī)

to sharpen
to grind (knife blades)

miller

grinder's disease
silicosis
also written 矽末病

abrasive disk
sanding disk

sander; sanding machine

to feel unembarrassed; to be at ease
(dialect) to be convinced; to come round

abrasive (material)

to grumble
to chatter away incessantly

ball mill

whetstone (for honing knives)

premolar tooth

angle grinder

friction blister

pumice stone

attrition rate

rod mill

to feel embarrassed

to idle on the job

facial scrub

terrazzo

Shuimogou district (Uighur: Shuymogu Rayoni) of Urumqi city 烏魯木齊市／乌鲁木齐市 ( Wūlǔmùqí Shì), Xinjiang

móchuāntiěyàn

to grind one's way through an ink stone
to persevere in a difficult task (idiom)
to study diligently (idiom)

Shuǐmògōuqū

Shuimogou district (Uighur: Shuymogu Rayoni) of Urumqi city 烏魯木齊市／乌鲁木齐市 ( Wūlǔmùqí Shì), Xinjiang

móchǔchéngzhēn

to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
to study diligently

qiēcuōzhuómó

lit. cutting and polishing (idiom)
fig. to learn by exchanging ideas or experiences

xiāomóshíjiān

to kill time

lit. to kill the donkey when the grinding is done (idiom)
fig. to get rid of sb once he has ceased to be useful

millstone grit
coarse sandstone

whetstone (for honing knives)

kùxíngzhémó

torture and cruel treatment

línzhènmóqiāng

lit. to sharpen one's spear only before going into battle (idiom)
fig. to make preparations only at the last moment

módāohuòhuò

lit. to sharpen one's sword (idiom)
fig. to prepare to attack; to be getting ready for battle

incessant complaining

a polished stone (neolithic) implement

hǎoshìduōmó

the road to happiness is strewn with setbacks (idiom)

ruǎnmóyìngpào

to coax and pester (idiom)
to wheedle
to cajole

to wear out the skin of one's teeth (idiom); pointlessly blather
to talk incessant nonsense
blah blah

móquáncāzhǎng

variant of 摩拳擦掌 (mōquáncāzhǎng)

mómócèngcèng

to dillydally
slow-going

to talk until one is blue in the face

indelible

lit. to play together ear to ear and temple to temple (idiom)
fig. (of a boy and a girl) to play together often during childhood

yánmócáiliào

abrasive
grinding material

móshícūshāyán

磨石粗砂岩

[磨石粗砂岩]

millstone grit

mópòzuǐpízi

磨破嘴皮子

[磨破嘴皮子]

to wear out one's lips (idiom)
to talk until one is blue in the face
to repeat again and again

fǎnkùxíngzhémógōngyuē

反酷刑折磨公约

[反酷刑折磨公約]

UN convention against torture and cruel treatment (ratified by PRC in 1988)

módāobùwùkǎncháigōng

磨刀不误砍柴工

[磨刀不誤砍柴工]

lit. sharpening the axe won't make the wood-splitting take longer (idiom)
fig. time invested in preparations is not lost
a beard well lathered is half shaved

lǎnlüshàngmòshǐniàoduō

懒驴上磨屎尿多

[懶驢上磨屎尿多]

(proverb) A lazy person will find many excuses to delay working
lit. When a lazy donkey is turning a grindstone, it takes a lot of time off for peeing and pooing

yǒuqiánnéngshǐguǐtuīmò

有钱能使鬼推磨

[有錢能使鬼推磨]

lit. with money, you can get a devil to turn a millstone (idiom)
fig. with money, you can get anything done; money talks

zhǐyàogōngfushēn,tiěchǔmóchéngzhēn

只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针

[只要功夫深，鐵杵磨成針]

If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
cf idiom 磨杵成針／磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
to study diligently

dāobùmóyàoshēngxiù,rénbùxuéyàoluòhòu

刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后

[刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後]

(idiom) a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study