gram

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈgram 

: any of several leguminous plants (such as a chickpea) grown especially for their seed

also : their seeds

gram

2 of 5

noun (2)

ˈgram 

1

: a metric unit of mass equal to 1/1000 kilogram and nearly equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at its maximum density see Metric System Table

2

: the weight of a gram under the acceleration of gravity

gram

3 of 5

noun (3)

: grandmother

gram

4 of 5

abbreviation

grammar; grammatical

-gram

5 of 5

noun combining form

: drawing : writing : record

chronogram

telegram

Examples of gram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

These materials are engineered at the molecular level to have a huge surface area; just a few grams of the substance can cover the interior area of a football arena. —Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026

Delving more into the nitty-gritty, the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends 25 grams for women and girls ages 14 to 18, 28 grams for women ages 19 to 30, 25 grams again for women ages 31 to 50, and 22 grams for women ages 51 and over. —Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026

According to Breen, a half-cup of lentils contains about 9 grams of protein—compared with roughly 2 grams in rice, 4 in pasta, and less than 1 gram in potatoes. —Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026

Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap® Chick-fil-A’s Cool Wrap has 43 grams (g) of protein plus 14 g of fiber, which is hard to come by with most fast food. —Sarah Anzlovar, Verywell Health, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

obsolete Portuguese (now spelled grão), grain, from Latin granum

Noun (2)

French gramme, from Late Latin gramma, a small weight, from Greek grammat-, gramma letter, writing, a small weight, from graphein to write — more at carve

Noun (3)

by shortening & alteration

Noun combining form

Latin -gramma, from Greek, from gramma

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1702, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gram

• centimeter-gram-second
• gram-atomic weight
• gram calorie
• gram equivalent
• gram molecular weight
• gram-negative
• gram-positive
• gram-variable

Rhymes for gram

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram

Kids Definition

gram

1 of 2 noun

ˈgram

1

: a metric unit of mass equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ kilogram and nearly equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at its maximum density see metric system

2

: the weight of a gram of mass

-gram

2 of 2 noun combining form

ˌgram

: drawing : writing : record

telegram

Etymology

Noun combining form

from Latin -gramma "piece of writing, record," derived from Greek gramma "letter," derived from graphein "to write" — related to graffito, grammar, -graph

Medical Definition

gram

noun

variants or chiefly British gramme

ˈgram 

1

: a metric unit of mass equal to ¹/₁₀₀₀ kilogram and nearly equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at its maximum density

—abbreviation g

2

: the weight of a gram under standard gravity