1. Slang for a soldier in the infantry, which has gradually become a term referring to a low-level employee in any field.

2. One of the original 1982 set of G.I. Joe 3 3/4" action figures. He came with an M-16 and a backpack. He was the blandest and least interesting of the Joes because he had no special attributes or equipment; he was just, well, a grunt. Maybe that was why the next year he was packaged with the Falcon Attack Glider as its pilot. The 1983 Grunt was unarmed and had a tan uniform instead of the original green.

Grunt retired and got an engineering degree from Georgia Tech. In 1991, he was back as an E5 in a garish brown and orange outfit with an oversized missile launcher. A less ridiculous Grunt in a camouflage shirt and with an AK-47 was packaged with the 1997 Stars and Stripes Forever boxed set. He was now an E6.

1982 filecard:

INFANTRY TROOPER

Code Name: GRUNT

File Name: Graves, Robert W. SN: RA52779623
Primary Military Specialty: Infantry
Secondary Military Specialty: Small Arms Armoror (sic) Artillery Coordinator
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio Grade: E-4
Familiar with all NATO and Warsaw Pact small arms as well as domestic civilian arms. Graduated: Advanced Infantry Training. Finished in top ten of his class. Qualified Expert: M-14;M-16; M-1911A1 (Auto-Pistol).
"Grunt is a highly motivated, systematic individual. He’s a stand-up guy who doesn’t blow his cool in a fire-fight."

Comic book appearances:
* G.I. JOE: #1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 24, 32, 33, 49, 50, 55, 56, 62, 78, 144-flashback, 145
* G.I. JOE Yearbook: #2
* G.I. JOE: Order of Battle: #1

Filecards and information from http://www.yojoe.com

Grunt (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Grunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Grunting.] [OE. grunten; akin to As. grunian, G. grunzen, Dan. grynte, Sw. grymta; all prob. of imitative; or perh. akin to E. groan.] To make a deep, short noise, as a hog; to utter a short groan or a deep guttural sound.

Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life. Shak.

Grunting ox Zool., the yak.

 

© Webster 1913.


Grunt (?), n.

1.

A deep, guttural sound, as of a hog.

2. Zool.

Any one of several species of American food fishes, of the genus Haemulon, allied to the snappers, as, the black grunt (A. Plumieri), and the redmouth grunt (H. aurolineatus), of the Southern United States; -- also applied to allied species of the genera Pomadasys, Orthopristis, and Pristopoma. Called also pigfish, squirrel fish, and grunter; -- so called from the noise it makes when taken.

 

© Webster 1913.

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