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

New data center projects are dealing with grid connection queues of up to 5 years, and traditional power generation equipment, like gas turbines, to build dedicated power plants for new construction is also sold out for 5 years. —CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

NurPhoto via Getty Images A significant winter storm is forecasted to impact the Midwest and Eastern United States, prompting questions regarding the resilience of the power grid under extreme weather conditions. —Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Inflation and infrastructure cause higher bills More recent changes have helped drive up electricity costs, particularly the cost of grid infrastructure and overall inflation, according to the EIA. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 21 Jan. 2026

According to the company, the Rockdale campus now has 700 megawatts of power capacity connected to the Texas grid, fiber connectivity and a dedicated water supply. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 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