gritty

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The Word of the Day for September 25 is: 

gritty   \GRIT-ee\   adjective
     1 : containing or resembling grit 
     2 : courageously persistent : plucky 
    *3 : having strong qualities of tough uncompromising realism

Example sentence:
     Dan is writing a gritty novel about the perils of 
missionary work.

Did you know?
     "Gritty" comes from "grit" ("small hard granules"), which 
in turn derives (via Middle English) from the Old English word 
for "sand" or "gravel." "Grit" has been around since before the 
12th century, but the first appearance of "gritty" in print in 
English was near the end of the 16th century, when it was used 
in the sense of "resembling or containing small hard 
granules." "Grit" entered American slang in the early 19th 
century with the meaning "courage or persistence," and, within 
about 20 years, "gritty" followed suit with a 
corresponding "plucky" sense. By the 19th century's 
end, "gritty" was also being used to describe a literary style 
that was rough and coarse.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.