grid

noun

1
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shortages of transformer equipment — which step voltages up and down across the U.S. grid — pose another obstacle, Cembalest wrote. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 21 June 2025 But structured frameworks—like Korn Ferry’s Seven Signposts of Leadership Potential or the classic 9-box grid—help leaders assess traits such as curiosity, drive, and capacity for complexity. Melanie Hughes, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025 Try our biweekly grid game Telematrix. Tap a clue to see a headshot or get more details. Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 June 2025 At that point, things spun out of control, with the grid frequency dropping. ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for grid

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from gridiron

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grid was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grid. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

grid

noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on grid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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