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against the grain

 - 6 dictionary results
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grain

  [greyn]
Use against the grain in a Sentence
–noun
1. a small, hard seed, esp. the seed of a food plant such as wheat, corn, rye, oats, rice, or millet.
2. the gathered seed of food plants, esp. of cereal plants.
3. such plants collectively.
4. any small, hard particle, as of sand, gold, pepper, or gunpowder.
5. the smallest unit of weight in most systems, originally determined by the weight of a plump grain of wheat. In the U.S. and British systems, as in avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries' weights, the grain is identical. In an avoirdupois ounce there are 437.5 grains; in the troy and apothecaries' ounces there are 480 grains (one grain equals 0.0648 gram).
6. the smallest possible amount of anything: a grain of truth.
7. the arrangement or direction of fibers in wood, or the pattern resulting from this.
8. the direction in which the fibers of a piece of dressed wood, as a board, rise to the surface: You should work with or across the grain, but never against.
9. the side of leather from which the hair has been removed.
10. a stamped pattern that imitates the natural grain of leather: used either on leather to simulate a different type of natural leather, or on coated cloth.
11. Textiles.
a. the fibers or yarn in a piece of fabric as differentiated from the fabric itself.
b. the direction of threads in a woven fabric in relation to the selvage.
12. the lamination or cleavage of stone, coal, etc.
13. Metallurgy. any of the individual crystalline particles forming a metal.
14. Jewelry. a unit of weight equal to 50 milligrams or 1/4 carat, used for pearls and sometimes for diamonds.
15. the size of constituent particles of any substance; texture: sugar of fine grain.
16. a granular texture or appearance: a stone of coarse grain.
17. a state of crystallization: boiled to the grain.
18. temper or natural character: two brothers of similar grain.
19. Rocketry. a unit of solid propellant.
20. Obsolete. color or hue.
–verb (used with object)
21. to form into grains; granulate.
22. to give a granular appearance to.
23. to paint in imitation of the grain of wood, stone, etc.: metal doors grained to resemble oak.
24. to feed grain to (an animal).
25. Tanning.
a. to remove the hair from (skins).
b. to soften and raise the grain of (leather).
—Idioms
26. against the or one's grain, in opposition to one's temper, inclination, or character: Haggling always went against her grain.
27. with a grain of salt. salt 1 (def. 23).
Origin:
1250–1300; ME grain, grein < OF grain < L grānum seed, grain; see corn 1

Related forms:
grainer, noun
grainless, adjective

Synonyms:
6. bit, speck, trace, jot, iota, whit, tittle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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grain   (grān)   
n.  

    1. A small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united: a single grain of wheat; gleaned the grains from the ground one at a time. Also called caryopsis.

    2. The fruits of cereal grasses especially after having been harvested, considered as a group: The grain was stored in a silo.

    3. A cereal grass: Wheat is a grain grown in Kansas.

    4. Cereal grasses considered as a group: Grain is grown along the river.

    5. A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass: a grain of sand.

    6. A small amount or the smallest amount possible: hasn't a grain of sense.

    7. The side of a hide or piece of leather from which the hair or fur has been removed.

    8. The pattern or markings on this side of leather.

    9. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.

    10. An essential quality or characteristic.

    1. A cereal grass: Wheat is a grain grown in Kansas.

    2. Cereal grasses considered as a group: Grain is grown along the river.

    3. A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass: a grain of sand.

    4. A small amount or the smallest amount possible: hasn't a grain of sense.

    5. The side of a hide or piece of leather from which the hair or fur has been removed.

    6. The pattern or markings on this side of leather.

    7. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.

    8. An essential quality or characteristic.

    1. A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass: a grain of sand.

    2. A small amount or the smallest amount possible: hasn't a grain of sense.

    3. The side of a hide or piece of leather from which the hair or fur has been removed.

    4. The pattern or markings on this side of leather.

    5. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.

    6. An essential quality or characteristic.

  4. Aerospace A mass of solid propellant.

  5. Abbr. gr. A unit of weight in the U.S. Customary System, an avoirdupois unit equal to 0.002285 ounce (0.065 gram). See Table at measurement.

  6. The arrangement, direction, or pattern of the fibrous tissue in wood.

    1. The side of a hide or piece of leather from which the hair or fur has been removed.

    2. The pattern or markings on this side of leather.

    3. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.

    4. An essential quality or characteristic.

  8. The pattern produced, as in stone, by the arrangement of particulate constituents.

  9. The relative size of the particles composing a substance or pattern: a coarse grain.

  10. A painted, stamped, or printed design that imitates the pattern found in wood, leather, or stone.

  11. The direction or texture of fibers in a woven fabric.

  12. A state of fine crystallization.

    1. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.

    2. An essential quality or characteristic.

  14. Archaic Color; tint.

v.   grained, grain·ing, grains

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to form into grains; granulate.

  2. To paint, stamp, or print with a design imitating the grain of wood, leather, or stone.

  3. To give a granular or rough texture to.

  4. To remove the hair or fur from (hides) in preparation for tanning.

v.   intr.
To form grains.

[Middle English, from Old French graine, from Latin grānum; see gə-no- in Indo-European roots.]
grain'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: grain
Pronunciation: 'grAn
Function: noun
1 a : a seed or fruit of a cereal grass b : the seeds or fruits of variousfood plants including the cereal grasses and in commercial and statutory usage other plants (as the soybean) c : plants producing grain
2 : a small hard particleor crystal (as of sand or salt)
3 : a unit of avoirdupois, Troy, and apothecaries' weight equal to 0.0648 gram or 0.002286 avoirdupois ounce or 0.002083 Troy ounce—abbreviation gr
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

grain (grān)
n.

  1. A small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united.

  2. The fruits of cereal grasses especially after having been harvested, considered as a group.

  3. A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass.


  4. Abbr. gr. A unit of weight in the U.S. Customary System, an avoirdupois unit equal to 0.002286 ounce (0.065 gram).

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
grain   (grān)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. See caryopsis.

  2. A small particle of something, such as salt, pollen, or sand.

  3. A unit of weight in the US Customary System, equal to 2/1000 of an ounce (0.07 gram). See Table at measurement.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

against the grain

Opposed to one's inclination or preference, as in We followed the new supervisor's advice, though it went against the grain. This metaphor refers to the natural direction of the fibers in a piece of wood, called its grain; when sawed obliquely, or "against the grain," the wood will tend to splinter. [c. 1600] For a synonym, see rub the wrong way.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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