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noun (often used with a singular verb)
an iron instrument with barbed prongs, for spearing or harpooning fish.
Origin:
1895–1900; earlier grainse < Old Norse grein branch, division; compare Swedish gren
1895–1900; earlier grainse < Old Norse grein branch, division; compare Swedish gren
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Grains
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
a small, hard seed, especially the seed of a food plant such as wheat, corn, rye, oats, rice, or millet.
2.
the gathered seed of food plants, especially of cereal plants.
3.
such plants collectively.
4.
any small, hard particle, as of sand, gold, pepper, or gunpowder.
5.
EXPANDthe 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.
COLLAPSEObsolete. color or hue.
verb (used with object)
Idioms21.
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).
26.
against the/one's grain, in opposition to one's temper, inclination, or character: Haggling always went against her grain.
27.
with a grain of salt. salt1 (def. 23).
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English grain, grein < Old French grain < Latin grānum seed, grain; see corn1
1250–1300; Middle English grain, grein < Old French grain < Latin grānum seed, grain; see corn1
Related forms
grain·er, noun
grain·less, adjective
mul·ti·grain, noun, adjective
non·grain, noun
su·per·grain, noun
EXPANDun·der·grain·ing, noun
COLLAPSESynonyms
6. bit, speck, trace, jot, iota, whit, tittle.
6. bit, speck, trace, jot, iota, whit, tittle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To grains
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
grain
c.1200, from O.Fr. grein, from L. granum "seed" (see corn). As collective sing. meaning "seed of wheat and allied grasses used as food," it is attested from early 14c. Extended in M.E. to other objects (e.g. salt, sand). Used of wood (1560s), from the arrangement of fibers,
EXPANDwhich resemble seeds. Hence, against the grain (1650), a metaphor from carpentry: cutting across the fibers of the wood is more difficult than cutting along them.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
grain (grān)
n.
A small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united.
The fruits of cereal grasses especially after having been harvested, considered as a group.
A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass.
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.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
grain  (grān) Pronunciation Key
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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