grain
noun
- a small, hard seed or seedlike fruit, esp. that of any cereal plant, as wheat, rice, corn, rye, etc.
- : also called corn in Great Britain
- cereal seeds in general
- the seeds of a specific cereal
- any plant or plants producing cereal seeds
- a tiny, solid particle, as of salt or sand
- a crystal or crystals collectively; also crystallization, esp. of sugar
- a tiny bit; slightest amount: a grain of sense
- the smallest unit in the system of weights used in the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada, equal to .0648 gram: one pound avoirdupois equals 7,000 grains; one pound troy or apothecaries' weight equals 5,760 grains: abbrev. gr
- the arrangement or direction of fibers, layers, or particles of wood, leather, stone, paper, etc.
- the markings or texture due to a particular arrangement
- paint or other surface finish imitating such markings or texture
- a granular surface appearance
- that side of a piece of leather from which the hair has been removed
- the markings on that side
- disposition; nature
- essential quality
- Obsolete
- kermes or cochineal
- a red dye made from either
- any fast dye
- Archaic color or shade
transitive verb
- to form into grains; granulate
- to paint or otherwise finish (a surface) in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.
- to remove the hair from (hides)
- to put a finish on the grain surface of (leather)
intransitive verb
to form grains
See grain in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(grān)
nouna. A small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united: a single grain of wheat; gleaned the grains from the ground one at a time. Also called caryopsis.
b. The fruits of cereal grasses especially after having been harvested, considered as a group: The grain was stored in a silo.
a. A cereal grass: Wheat is a grain grown in Kansas.
b. Cereal grasses considered as a group: Grain is grown along the river.
a. A relatively small discrete particulate or crystalline mass: a grain of sand.
b. A small amount or the smallest amount possible: hasn't a grain of sense.
- Aerospace A mass of solid propellant.
- Abbr. gr. A unit of weight in the U.S. Customary System, an avoirdupois unit equal to 0.002285 ounce (0.065 gram). See Table at measurement.
- The arrangement, direction, or pattern of the fibrous tissue in wood.
a. The side of a hide or piece of leather from which the hair or fur has been removed.
b. The pattern or markings on this side of leather.
- The pattern produced, as in stone, by the arrangement of particulate constituents.
- The relative size of the particles composing a substance or pattern: a coarse grain.
- A painted, stamped, or printed design that imitates the pattern found in wood, leather, or stone.
- The direction or texture of fibers in a woven fabric.
- A state of fine crystallization.
a. Basic temperament or nature; disposition.
b. An essential quality or characteristic.
- Archaic Color; tint.
verb grained,
grain·ing,
grains verb, transitive- To cause to form into grains; granulate.
- To paint, stamp, or print with a design imitating the grain of wood, leather, or stone.
- To give a granular or rough texture to.
- To remove the hair or fur from (hides) in preparation for tanning.
verb, intransitive To form grains.
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