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

As part of the CEAC deal, Google will inject $50 million to support Xcel’s Capacity Connect program, which will install many smaller batteries across the grid to increase power capacity and make the system more reliable. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Feb. 2026

The space is dimly lit, with light grids above the bar and a custom projector creating an underwater effect. —Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026

While ComEd will not file a rate request reflecting the grid plan until next year, it is projected to increase residential customer bills by about $3 per month starting in 2028, the utility said. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026

The company plans to help Brazil improve its power grid, adopt renewable energy in the agricultural sector, train up engineers, and so on. —Xiaoying You, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 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