grain

¹grain

noun \ˈgrān\

Definition of GRAIN

1

a (1) obsolete : a single small hard seed (2) : a seed or fruit of a cereal grass : caryopsis

b : the seeds or fruits of various food plants including the cereal grasses and in commercial and statutory usage other plants (as the soybean)

c : plants producing grain

2

a (1) : a small hard particle or crystal (2) : any of the particles produced in a photographic material by its development; also : the size of such grains in the aggregate (3) : an individual crystal in a metal

b : a minute portion or particle

c : the least amount possible <a grain of truth>

3

a : kermes or a scarlet dye made from it

b : cochineal or a brilliant scarlet dye made from it

c : a fast dye

d archaic : color, tint

4

a : a granulated surface or appearance

b : the outer or hair side of a skin or hide

5

: a unit of weight based on the weight of a grain of wheat taken as an average of the weight of grains from the middle of the ear — see weight table

6

a : the stratification of the wood fibers in a piece of wood

b : a texture due to constituent particles or fibers <the grain of a rock>

c : the direction of threads in cloth

7

: tactile quality

8

a : natural disposition : temper <lying goes against my grain>

b : a basic or characteristic quality

c : a prevalent ideology or convention <teaching against the grain>

— grained \ˈgrānd\ adjective

— grain·less adjective

Examples of GRAIN

1. bread made from whole wheat grain
2. The machine grinds grain into flour.
3. The farm grows a variety of grains.
4. Anyone with a grain of sense knows that she's lying.
5. There is not a grain of truth in what he said.

Origin of GRAIN

Middle English, partly from Anglo-French grain cereal grain, from Latin granum; partly from Anglo-French graine seed, kermes, from Latin grana, plural of granum — more at corn

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to GRAIN

Synonyms

atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, bit, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scrap, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle

Related Words

ace, dab, dash, driblet, drop, fraction, haet [chiefly Scottish], halfpenny, ha'penny, iota, jot, kenning [chiefly Scottish], lick, minim, mite, modicum, nutshell, ounce, pinch, shred, smatter, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), spot, strain, streak, suspicion, taste, touch, trace, whisper, whit; bite, mouthful, nibble, tidbit (also titbit); fragment, part, portion, section; chip, flake, shard, shiver, sliver, splinter; clipping, paring, shaving; smithereens

Near Antonyms

chunk, gob, hunk, lump, slab; abundance, barrel, bucket, bushel, deal, heaps, loads, mass, mountain, peck, pile, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, scads, stack, volume, wad, wealth

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

²grain

verb

Definition of GRAIN

transitive verb

1

: ingrain

2

: to form into grains : granulate

3

: to paint in imitation of the grain of wood or stone

4

: to feed with grain

intransitive verb

: to become granular : granulate

— grain·er noun

First Known Use of GRAIN

1530

grain

noun \ˈgrān\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of GRAIN

1

a : a seed or fruit of a cereal grass b : the seeds or fruits of various food plants including the cereal grasses and in commercial and statutory usage other plants (as the soybean) c : plants producing grain

2

: a small hard particle or 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