grid

noun

ˈgrid 

1

: grating

2

a(1)

: a perforated or ridged metal plate used as a conductor in a storage battery

(2)

: an electrode consisting of a mesh or a spiral of fine wire in an electron tube

(3)

: a network of conductors for distribution of electric power

also : a network of radio or television stations

b

: a network of uniformly spaced horizontal and perpendicular lines (as for locating points on a map)

also : something resembling such a network

a road grid

c

: gridiron sense 3

broadly : football

3

: the starting positions of cars on a racecourse

4

: a device in a photocomposer on which are located the characters to be exposed as the text is composed

Examples of grid in a Sentence

The students plotted points on a grid.

The city streets form a grid.

Recent Examples on the Web

The segment that sells transformers and other electrical grid equipment is also booming to support data centers, booking more orders in Q1 than all of last year. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026

The production took advantage of the Netflix Longcross Studio in Surrey (outside of London), which provided 100% renewable energy grid supply along with ultra-rapid charging facilities for electric transportation. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026

The interest highlights a broader global scramble for copper, one in which supply constraints are colliding with soaring demand from electric vehicles and power grids. —Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026

These efforts include developing target physics designs and manufacturing processes capable of meeting the specifications required for grid-scale fusion power plant operations. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from gridiron

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grid

• cattle grid
• micro-grid
• off-grid
• off-the-grid

Rhymes for grid

• bid
• did
• hid
• id
• lid
• mid
• quid
• rid
• skid
• slid
• squid
• amid

Kids Definition

grid

noun

ˈgrid 

1

: grating sense 1

2

: a metal plate used as a conductor in a storage battery

3

: an element of an electron tube consisting of a network of fine wire

4

: a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines (as for locating points on a map using coordinates or for counting a sample of particles or organisms on a microscope slide)

5

: a network of conductors for distribution of electrical power

also : a network of radio or television stations