grain

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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 (such 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 Weights and Measures 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

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grained

play \ˈgrānd\ adjective

—

grainless

adjective

See grain defined for English-language learners

See grain defined for kids

Examples of grain in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of grain from the Web

Isaac Newton Van Nuys and his future father-in-law, Isaac Lankershim, cultivated nearly 60,000 acres of the grain at the time.

— eric mercado, Los Angeles Magazine, "Know Your Streets: Van Nuys Boulevard," 17 Aug. 2017
There the bulk jugs of tamari and tahini and separated almond butter under an inch of rancid oil had crud on their spouts, and the bulk bins of oats and millet and whole-grain flours were lively with meal moths.

— gabrielle hamilton, New York Times, "How to Have Your Health Food and Love It, Too," 10 Aug. 2017
In general, long-grain rice, like basmati and jasmine, has a lower glycemic index because your body takes longer to digest them and break the carbohydrates down into sugar.

— carrie dennett, The Seattle Times, "Why you should give potatoes and pasta a break," 7 Aug. 2017
Step 7: Rotate each crosscut section 90 degrees, alternating between turning them to the left and the right to create a mirrored pattern in the grain.

— dave ball, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make a Butcherblock," 2 Aug. 2017
Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expect the economy to grow 2.8 percent this year, propelled by an agricultural sector that’s booming after Macri slashed prohibitive export taxes on grains.

— charlie devereux, Bloomberg.com, "Argentina’s Bumpy Recovery May Spell Trouble for Macri Reforms," 31 July 2017
Scrubbing brushes against the grain can open the cuticles of natural bristles and break off synthetic ones, both of which will leave you with scraggly brushes that don’t work as well.

— alexandra tunell, Harper's BAZAAR, "How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes," 24 July 2017
After 10 years, James Hunter and Duke Simpson, Westport men, bought the operation and expanded it for the grinding of grain.

— darryl levings, kansascity, "How KC’s Watts Mill became a mill — and a fiddler’s paradise," 18 July 2017
By definition, whiskey is a spirit distilled from fermented grain mash.

— florence fabricant, New York Times, "A Spirit With an Identity Complex," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

grain Synonyms

Other Seed Plant Terms

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

grain

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

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grainer

noun

Recent Examples of grain from the Web

Interior Features A simple dashboard is dressed up nicely with finely grained, soft-touch plastics and, on the Ultimate trim, open-pore wood veneer that looks upscale—although some materials aren’t as nice as those in rival luxury sedans.

— michael simari, Car and Driver, "2018 Genesis G80," 3 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of grain

1530

GRAIN Defined for English Language Learners

grain

play

noun

Definition of grain for English Language Learners

: the seeds of plants (such as wheat, corn, and rice) that are used for food; also : a single seed of wheat, corn, rice, etc.
: a plant that produces grain
: a small, hard piece of something

GRAIN Defined for Kids

grain

play

noun \ ˈgrān \

Definition of grain for Students

1 :the edible seed or seeds of some grasses (as wheat, corn, or oats) or a few other plants (as buckwheat)

2 :plants that produce grain

3 :a small hard particle

a grain of sand

4 :a tiny amount

a grain of truth

5 :a unit of weight equal to 0.0648 gram

6 :the arrangement of fibers in wood

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grained

\ˈgrānd\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

grain

play

noun \ ˈgrān \

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

Learn More about grain

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grain Spanish Central: Translation of grain Nglish: Translation of grain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grain for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grain

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grain

Definition of grain

grained

grainless

From the M-W Editors

Examples of grain in a Sentence

Recent Examples of grain from the Web

Origin and Etymology of grain

grain Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Seed Plant Terms

grain

Definition of grain

grainer

Recent Examples of grain from the Web

First Known Use of grain

Phrases Related to GRAIN

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GRAIN Defined for English Language Learners

grain

Definition of grain for English Language Learners

GRAIN Defined for Kids

grain

Definition of grain for Students

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Medical Dictionary

grain

medical Definition of grain

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