A grainof wheat, rice, or other cereal crop is a seed from it.
...a grain of wheat. [+ of]
...rice grains.
Synonyms: seed, kernel, grist More Synonyms of grain
2. variable noun
Grain is a cereal crop, especially wheat or corn, that has been harvested and is used for food or in trade.
...a bag of grain.
...the best grains.
Synonyms: cereal, corn More Synonyms of grain
3. countable noun
A grain of something such as sand or salt is a tiny hard piece of it.
...a grain of sand. [+ of]
Synonyms: bit, piece, trace, spark More Synonyms of grain
-grainedcombining form
...coarse-grained salt.
4. singular noun
A grain of a quality is a very small amount of it.
There's more than a grain of truth in that. [+ of]
5. singular noun
The grain of a piece of wood is the direction of its fibres. You can also refer to the pattern of lines on the surface of the wood as the grain.
Brush the paint generously over the wood in the direction of the grain.
Synonyms: texture, pattern, surface, fibre More Synonyms of grain
-grainedcombining form
...a hard, heavy, straight-grained wood.
6.
See go against the grain
More Synonyms of grain
grain in British English
(ɡreɪn)
noun
1.
the small hard seedlike fruit of a grass, esp a cereal plant
2.
a mass of such fruits, esp when gathered for food
3.
the plants, collectively, from which such fruits are harvested
4.
a small hard particle
a grain of sand
5.
a.
the general direction or arrangement of the fibrous elements in paper or wood
to saw across the grain
b.
the pattern or texture of wood resulting from such an arrangement
the attractive grain of the table
6.
the relative size of the particles of a substance
sugar of fine grain
7.
a.
the granular texture of a rock, mineral, etc
b.
the appearance of a rock, mineral, etc, determined by the size and arrangement ofits constituents
8.
a.
the outer (hair-side) layer of a hide or skin from which the hair or wool has been removed
b.
the pattern on the outer surface of such a hide or skin
9.
a surface artificially imitating the grain of wood, leather, stone, etc; graining
10.
the smallest unit of weight in the avoirdupois, Troy, and apothecaries' systems, based on the average weight of a grain of wheat: in the avoirdupois system it equals 1⁄7000 of a pound, and in the Troy and apothecaries' systems it equals 1⁄5760 of a pound. 1 grain is equal to 0.0648 gram
Abbreviation: gr
11. Also called: metric grain
a metric unit of weight used for pearls or diamonds, equal to 50 milligrams or one quarter of a carat
12.
the threads or direction of threads in a woven fabric
13. photography
any of a large number of particles in a photographic emulsion, the size of which limit the extent to which an image can be enlarged without serious loss of definition
14. television
a granular effect in a television picture caused by electrical noise
15.
cleavage lines in crystalline material, parallel to growth planes
16. chemistry
any of a large number of small crystals forming a polycrystalline solid, each having a regular array of atoms that differs in orientation from that of the surrounding crystallites
17.
a state of crystallization
to boil syrup to the grain
18.
a very small amount
a grain of truth
19.
natural disposition, inclination, or character (esp in the phrase go against the grain)
20. astronautics
a homogenous mass of solid propellant in a form designed to give the required combustion characteristics for a particular rocket
21. (not in technical usage)
kermes or a red dye made from this insect
22. dyeing an obsolete word for colour
23. with a grain of salt
verb(mainly tr)
24. (also intr)
to form grains or cause to form into grains; granulate; crystallize
25.
to give a granular or roughened appearance or texture to
26.
to paint, stain, etc, in imitation of the grain of wood or leather
27.
a.
to remove the hair or wool from (a hide or skin) before tanning
b.
to raise the grain pattern on (leather)
Derived forms
grainer (ˈgrainer)
noun
grainless (ˈgrainless)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin grānum
grain in American English
(greɪn)
noun
1.
a small, hard seed or seedlike fruit, esp. that of any cereal plant, as wheat, rice,corn, rye, etc.
2.
a.
cereal seeds in general
b.
the seeds of a specific cereal
c.
any plant or plants producing cereal seeds
also called corn in Great Britain
3.
a.
a tiny, solid particle, as of salt or sand
b.
a crystal or crystals collectively; also crystallization, esp. of sugar
4.
a tiny bit; slightest amount
a grain of sense
5.
the smallest unit in the system of weights used in the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada,equal to .0648 gram: one pound avoirdupois equals 7,000 grains; one pound troy orapothecaries' weight equals 5,760 grains
abbrev. gr
6.
a.
the arrangement or direction of fibers, layers, or particles of wood, leather, stone,paper, etc.
b.
the markings or texture due to a particular arrangement
c.
paint or other surface finish imitating such markings or texture
d.
a granular surface appearance
7.
a.
that side of a piece of leather from which the hair has been removed
b.
the markings on that side
8.
a.
disposition; nature
b.
essential quality
9. Obsolete
a.
kermes or cochineal
b.
a red dye made from either
c.
any fast dye
d. Archaic
color or shade
verb transitive
10.
to form into grains; granulate
11.
to paint or otherwise finish (a surface) in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.
12.
a.
to remove the hair from (hides)
b.
to put a finish on the grain surface of (leather)
verb intransitive
13.
to form grains
Idioms:
against the grain
Word origin
ME greyne < OFr grein, a seed, grain (< L granum, a seed, kernel) & grainne, seed or grain collectively (< LL grana, fem., orig. pl. of L granum) < IE base *ĝer-, to become ripe > corn1, kernel; (sense 5) orig. from the weight of a grain of wheat
More idioms containing
grain
go against the grain
Examples of 'grain' in a sentence
grain
Serve over grains or roasted vegetables and scatter with chopped parsley.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Serve over grains or roasted vegetables.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Made with rice grains from which more than 40 per cent of the outer layer has been removed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Add the wine, stirring until it has cooked out and the grains of rice begin to soften.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Simmer steadily for 20 until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice grains are swollen but a tad hard in the centre.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You should get all you need from vegetables and grains in your diet.
Turner, Roger Newman The Hayfever Handbook - a summer survival guide (1988)
The vodka is made from potatoes rather than the cheaper wheat or rye grains.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The grain is removed through a combing machine and the reed is tied into bundles.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The decline of the grain trade feels a trifle dull.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We designed it so that the grain in the wood hides the joints.
The Sun (2012)
Of the other crops the various grains are steadily on the decrease.
Cloke, Paul J (ed) Rural Land-Use Planning in Developed Nations (1989)
More and more are choosing grain and cereal products.
The Sun (2012)
Each picture will cover an area smaller than a grain of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The risotto is ready when the rice grains are tender with the slightest of bites.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You learn to take a lot of this with a grain of salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You do get some protein from vegetables and whole grains.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
His chosen settings are such things as grains of wheat and the eyes of needles.
Marsden, Philip The Crossing-Place (1993)
The latter two have angular grains while soft sand grains are more rounded.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But to my mouth it did not have the grain and texture of the Kitty steak.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was not a very large grain of sand, quite a tiny piece of quartz.
Christianity Today (2000)
I suppose all conquerors have to be of that rather hard grain.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
They possessed surpluses of grain and food, but these bulky products were expensive to transport over long distances.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
It trades grain amid food riots and has been accused of profiteering and environmental offences in numerous poor and war-torn countries.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Going on that show was like being a chicken farmer with a bag of grain and suddenly all the chickens are trying to peck at you.
The Sun (2012)
Larger grains take longer cooking.
Smith, Drew Food Watch (1994)
We love the pattern of its grain, the texture of its surface and the way it brings the naturalworld inside our homes.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The campaigners wanted to highlight the lender's alleged speculation in food commodities, which they claimed had driven up the price of corn and grain around the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
grain
British English: grain /ɡreɪn/ NOUN
seed of cereal plant A grain is the seed of a cereal plant, for example rice or wheat.
American English: grain
Arabic: حَبَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: grão
Chinese: 谷物
Croatian: zrno
Czech: zrno
Danish: korn
Dutch: graankorrel
European Spanish: grano cereal
Finnish: jyvä
French: grain
German: Samenkorn
Greek: κόκκος
Italian: grano
Japanese: 穀粒
Korean: 곡물
Norwegian: frø
Polish: ziarno
European Portuguese: grão
Romanian: grăunte
Russian: зерно
Latin American Spanish: grano semilla
Swedish: korn
Thai: เมล็ดพืช
Turkish: tahıl tanesi
Ukrainian: зерно
Vietnamese: hạt ngũ cốc
British English: grain /ɡreɪn/ NOUN
tiny piece A grain of something, for example sand or salt, is a tiny piece of it.
American English: grain
Arabic: حَبَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: grão
Chinese: 一粒
Croatian: zrno
Czech: zrnko
Danish: korn
Dutch: korrel
European Spanish: grano
Finnish: jyvä
French: grain
German: Korn
Greek: κόκκος
Italian: granello
Japanese: 一粒
Korean: 알갱이
Norwegian: snev
Polish: ziarno
European Portuguese: grão
Romanian: bob
Russian: крупица
Latin American Spanish: grano
Swedish: korn
Thai: เม็ด
Turkish: tanecik
Ukrainian: зернятко
Vietnamese: hạt
All related terms of 'grain'
end grain
wood grain , as at the end of a board, resulting from a cut across the grain
fine-grain
having or producing an image with grain of inconspicuous size
food grain
any cereal grain produced for human consumption
grain alcohol
ethanol containing about 10 per cent of water, made by the fermentation of grain
grain sorghum
any of various strains of sorghum grown primarily for grain
metric grain
the small hard seedlike fruit of a grass , esp a cereal plant
pollen grain
a single granule of pollen
quarter grain
the grain of quartersawn timber
brewer's grain
an exhausted malt occurring as a by-product of brewing and used as a feedstuff for cattle, pigs , and sheep
grain elevator
A grain elevator is a building in which grain such as corn is stored and which contains machinery for moving the grain.
distillers' grain
a by-product of the distillation process for making whisky , used as an animal foodstuff
against the grain
contrary to one's feelings, nature, wishes , etc.; irritating or displeasing
coarse-grain salt
salt with a much larger grain size than table salt
long-grain rice
a type of rice that has long grains , rather than round grains
go against the grain
If you say that an idea or action goes against the grain , you mean that it is very difficult for you to accept it or do it, because it conflicts with your previous ideas, beliefs , or principles .
with a grain of salt
without wholly believing: sceptically
to take something with a grain of salt
If you take something with a grain of salt , you do not believe that it is completely accurate or true .
take something with a pinch of salt
to not rely on something, such as a piece of information , because it may not be accurate or true
Chinese translation of 'grain'
grain
(ɡreɪn)
n
(c)[of wheat, rice]谷(穀)粒 (gǔlì) (颗, kē)
(c/u) (= cereals) 谷(穀)物 (gǔwù) (粒, lì)
(u) (US, = corn) 玉米 (yùmǐ)
(c)[of sand, salt, sugar]颗(顆)粒 (kēlì) (个(個), gè)
the grain[of wood]纹(紋)理 (wénlǐ) (条(條), tiáo)
it goes against the grain格格不入 (gé gé bù rù)
a grain of truth一点(點)真实(實)性 (yīdiǎn zhēnshíxìng)
1 (noun)
Definition
the small hard seedlike fruit of a cereal plant
a grain of wheat
Synonyms
seed
a packet of cabbage seed
kernel
the kernel of his message
grist
2 (noun)
Definition
cereal plants in general
a bag of grain
Synonyms
cereal
corn
3 (noun)
Definition
a very small amount
a grain of sand
Synonyms
bit
a bit of cake
piece
a piece of wood
Another piece of cake?
trace
Wash them in cold water to remove all traces of sand.
spark
Even Oliver felt a tiny spark of excitement.
scrap
a fire fuelled by scraps of wood
suspicion
molecule
a molecule of sulfur trioxide
particle
Particles of food can get stuck between the teeth.
fragment
She read everything, digesting every fragment of news.
atom
one carbon atom attached to four hydrogens
ounce
If only my father had possessed an ounce of business sense.
crumb
I stood up, brushing crumbs from my trousers.
mite
jot
It doesn't affect my judgement one jot.
speck
He leaned forward and brushed a speck of dust off his shoes.
morsel
a delicious little morsel of meat
granule
granules of coarse-grain sea salt
scruple
modicum
I like to think I've had a modicum of success.
mote
Dust motes swirled in the sunlight.
whit
It does not make one whit of difference what we do.
iota
Our credit standards have not changed one iota.
scintilla (rare)
4 (noun)
Definition
the pattern or texture resulting from this
Brush the paint over the wood in the direction of the grain.
Synonyms
texture
It is used in moisturisers to give them a silky texture.
pattern
surface
fibre
a variety of coloured fibres
weave
nap
She buried her face in the towel's soft nap.
5 (noun)
Synonyms
inclination
She set out to follow her artistic inclinations.
character
There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.
make-up
He became convinced that there was some fatal flaw in his make-up.
humour
Could that have been the source of his good humour?
temper
He's known for his placid temper.
disposition
his friendly and cheerful disposition
see also subject word lists:
See Rice and other cereals
Additional synonyms
in the sense of atom
Definition
a very small amount
one carbon atom attached to four hydrogens
Synonyms
particle,
bit,
spot,
trace,
scrap,
molecule,
grain,
dot,
fragment,
fraction,
shred,
crumb,
mite,
jot,
speck,
morsel,
mote,
whit,
tittle,
iota,
scintilla (rare)
in the sense of character
Definition
the combination of qualities distinguishing an individual person, group of people, or place
There is a side to his character which you haven't seen yet.