noun

gruel

gruel, porridge

The prisoners were fed watery gruel.

The prisoners were fed watery gruel.

((gruel)) a simple dish of cereal boiled in water or milk The prisoners were fed watery gruel.

Synonyms: porridge, oatmeal, mush

From Old French 'gruel', meaning 'coarsely ground meal', of Germanic origin.

Gruel rhymes with 'cruel'. Imagine being fed only gruel is a cruel punishment, like in the story of Oliver Twist.

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