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Definition of grain
1a (1) obsolete : a single small hard seed (2) : a seed or fruit of a cereal grass : caryopsisb : 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
2a (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 metalb : a minute portion or particlec : the least amount possible a grain of truth
3a : kermes or a scarlet dye made from itb : cochineal or a brilliant scarlet dye made from itc : a fast dyed archaic : color, tint
4a : a granulated surface or appearanceb : 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
6a : the stratification of the wood fibers in a piece of woodb : a texture due to constituent particles or fibers the grain of a rockc : the direction of threads in cloth
7 : tactile quality
8a : natural disposition : temper lying goes against my grainb : a basic or characteristic qualityc : a prevalent ideology or convention teaching against the grain
grainless
adjectiveExplore M-W
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
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Dust grains grew into pebbles, and pebbles became world-building planetesimals.
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Glucose is found in carbohydrates like fruit, whole-grain pastas, cereal, bread, beans, potatoes, and rice.
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Because the hard, red winter wheat that made Kansas a Western Hemisphere breadbasket doesn’t grow in Cuba, Cubans import most of their grain on credit from France and Canada.
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Trader Joe's and Wildway are voluntarily recalling certain grain-free granola products because of possible listeria risk.
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Epic Everything has 27 grams of whole grains, with toppings that include flax, chia, sesame and poppy seeds, plus garlic and onion.
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There are limited options for farmers looking to sell their grains in Northwest Indiana, Matt Hayden said.
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The mothers told Teen Vogue that their children are living on bulgur grain and no vegetables.
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Its mash tun, a vessel used for converting grains into sugars, was a dairy chilling tank and its boil kettle had been used to make vodka.
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
First Known Use of grain
1530
GRAIN Defined for English Language Learners
grain
playDefinition of grain for English Language Learners
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: the seeds of plants (such as wheat, corn, and rice) that are used for food; also : a single seed of wheat, corn, rice, etc.
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: a plant that produces grain
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: a small, hard piece of something
GRAIN Defined for Kids
grain
playDefinition 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
grained
\ˈgrānd\ adjectiveMedical Dictionary
grain
playMedical Definition of grain
1a: a seed or fruit of a cereal grassb: 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
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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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