gridiron

noun

grid·​iron ˈgrid-ˌī(-ə)rn How to pronounce gridiron (audio)
1
: a grate for broiling food
Put the steaks on the gridiron.
2
: something consisting of or covered with a network
a gridiron of streets
3
: a football field
The two teams will face each other on the gridiron.

Did you know?

Modern gridirons are covered in football players when they're in use, but the original gridirons were more likely to be covered with meat or fish; they were metal gratings used for broiling food over an open fire. In Middle English, such a grating was called a gredil, a root that gave modern English both gridiron and griddle. How did gridiron become associated with football? That happened in the late 1800s, when a white grid pattern was added to football fields to help enforce new rules about how many yards a team had to gain to keep possession of the ball. From high up in the stands, the lines made the playing fields look like cooking gridirons.

Examples of gridiron in a Sentence

The book recounts his many moments of glory on the gridiron.
Recent Examples on the Web The gizmo is changing sports — and one reason why the 23-year-old looks so much beyond his years on the gridiron. Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024 Politicians often turn to the gridiron for shorthand. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 Much like his time in Prime’s new project, the Philadelphia Eagle offered insights into his journey as a Black leader on the gridiron. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 27 Sep. 2024 While best known for his work on the gridiron, Sanders was also a fine outfielder who played in the Major League for over a decade. Don Yaeger, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gridiron 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gridiron.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gredire, alteration of gridel, gredil griddle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gridiron was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near gridiron

Cite this Entry

“Gridiron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gridiron. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

gridiron

noun
grid·​iron ˈgrid-ˌī(-ə)rn How to pronounce gridiron (audio)
1
: a grate for broiling food
2
: something consisting of or covered with a grid
3
: a football field

More from Merriam-Webster on gridiron

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