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

Besides Kaluga Hybrid and Osetra, Cavi also offers Salmon Roe ($25 for 50 grams), White Sturgeon ($95 for 30 grams), and Caspian Beluga Hybrid caviar ($189 for 30 grams), all sourced from farms in the Western Pacific and the Caspian Sea. —Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Dec. 2025

Pomegranate juice is also higher in calories than tomato juice and contains significantly more natural sugars (34 grams versus 6 grams per cup), so people who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, or watching their weight may want to take a more cautious approach. —Laura Schober, Health, 15 Dec. 2025

Theobromine levels in dark chocolate also vary widely by cocoa content, with food chemistry analyses showing that a typical 40-gram bar can contain roughly 200 to 400 milligrams. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

In February, the company is going a step farther and plans to launch Smartfood Fiber Pop, featuring six grams of fiber per serving, and SunChips Fiber, incorporating fiber variants like whole grains and black beans, Pepsi’s chief science officer, Tara Glasgow, told CNBC exclusively. —Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025

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