<B>grain</B> (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a seed or seedlike fruit of wheat, corn, oats, rye, and similar cereal grasses. In botanical usage a grain is not a seed but a fruit. (SYN) kernel. <DD><B> 2. </B>the seeds or seedlike fruits of such plants in the mass. <BR> <I>Ex. to grind grain.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the plants that these seeds or seedlike fruits grow on. <BR> <I>Ex. a field of grain. In British usage, grain is called corn.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>one of the tiny bits of which sand, sugar, or salt are made up. (SYN) granule. <DD><B> 5. </B>the smallest United States and British unit of weight. It is equal to .0648 gram. One pound avoirdupois weight equals 7,000 grains; one pound troy weight or apothecaries' weight equals 5,760 grains. The grain was originally determined by the weight of a grain of wheat. (Abbr.:) gr. or g. <DD><B> 6. </B>the unit of weight for pearls, equivalent to 1/4 of a carat. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Figurative.) the smallest possible amount; tiniest bit. <BR> <I>Ex. There isn't a grain of truth in his charge.</I> (SYN) atom, molecule. <DD><B> 8. </B>the arrangement, direction, or pattern of fibers in wood or layers in stone. Wood and stone split along the grain. <DD><B> 9. </B>the little lines and markings in wood, marble, or some like substance. <BR> <I>Ex. That mahogany table has a fine grain.</I> <DD><B> 10. </B>the quality of a substance due to the size, character, or arrangement of its constituent particles; texture. <BR> <I>Ex. a stone or salt of coarse grain.</I> <DD><B> 11. </B>(Figurative.) natural character; disposition. <BR> <I>Ex. Hatred of innocent human obstacles was a form of moral stupidity not in Deronda's grain (George Eliot).</I> (SYN) temper. <DD><B> 12a. </B>the rough surface of leather. It is on the side of the skin from which the hair has been removed. <DD><B> b. </B>a similar surface produced artificially. <DD><B> 13. </B>a roughness of surface, giving the appearance of small, roundish bodies side by side. <DD><B> 14a. </B>the plane of cleavage in coal, stone, or the like; lamination. <DD><B> b. </B>the directions in which cleavage occurs in diamond polishing. <DD><B> 15. </B>the fibers or threads of a fabric, as distinguished from the fabric itself. <DD><B> 16. </B>a crystallized state. <DD><B> 17a. </B><B>=kermes.</B> <DD><B> b. </B><B>=cochineal.</B> <DD><B> c. </B>the red dye made from either of these; any red-colored dye. <DD><B> 18a. </B>dye or color in general, especially when fast. <DD><B> b. </B>color; hue. <BR> <I>Ex. a robe of darkest grain (Milton).</I> <DD><B> 19. </B>(Photography.) any one of the small, separate particles of light-sensitive material emulsified and deposited on photographic film. The size of the particle limits the possible enlargement of the image and affects the speed of exposure. <DD><B> 20. </B>a piece of solid fuel, often three or more feet long, used in a missile. <BR> <I>Ex. A vigorous controversy raged around the best type of grain for rocket power. The reader must not think of these grains in terms of a grain of sand, but rather of a three-foot length of rubber hose or cast-iron pipe (James P. Baxter).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to paint to look like the grain of some solid, such as wood or marble. <DD><B> 2. </B>to form into grains; granulate. <BR> <I>Ex. to grain sugar.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to remove the hair from (a skin or skins). <DD><B> 4. </B>to soften and raise the grain of (leather). <DD><B> 5. </B>to give a granular surface to. <DD><B> 6. </B>to dye in grain. <DD><B> 7. </B>(U.S.) to feed with grain. <BR> <I>Ex. When our horses are not doing any kind of work, we do not grain them, but merely give them hay (A. E. Boyd).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to form grains; crystallize into grains, as sugar does. <BR><I>expr. <B>go against the</B> (or <B>one's</B>) <B>grain,</B> </I>to be contrary to one's inclination, desire, or feeling. <BR> <I>Ex. Laziness went against his grain. The use of detention rooms also seems to go against the grain for most headmasters (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>grains,</B> </I>refuse grain left after brewing or distilling. <BR> <I>Ex. grains in the cask.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>in grain,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>dyed with the red dye obtained from kermes or cochineal. </I> <I>Ex. How the red roses flush up in her cheeks ... like crimson ... in grain (Edmund Spenser).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>dyed in any fast color; dyed in the fiber or thoroughly. <BR> <I>Ex. 'Tis in grain, sir; 'twill endure wind and weather (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> c. </B>(Figurative.) by nature; downright; genuine; thorough. <BR> <I>Ex. Being palpably a Turk in grain, his intents are wicked (Thomas Carlyle).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>with a grain of salt.</B> </I>See under <B>salt.</B> noun <B>grainer.</B> adj. <B>grainless.</B> adj. <B>grainlike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="grain">
<B>grain</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Dialect.) <DD><B> 1. </B>a bough or branch. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of the prongs of a fork. <BR><I>expr. <B>grains,</B> </I>an iron instrument with barbed prongs, for spearing or harpooning fish. <BR> <I>Ex. For this purpose we procured a pair of grains, with a long staff like a harpoon (Richard Henry Dana, Jr.).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="grainalcohol">
<B>grain alcohol,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> ordinary alcohol or ethyl alcohol, often made by the fermentation of grain. </DL>
<A NAME="grainbeetle">
<B>grain beetle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various beetles that breed in stored grain. </DL>
<A NAME="grained">
<B>grained, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having little lines and markings, as wood does. <DD><B> 2. </B>painted to look like the grain in wood or marble. <DD><B> 3. </B>of leather: <DD><B> a. </B>with the hair removed. <DD><B> b. </B>roughened on the surface to bring out the grain. <DD><B> 4. </B>formed or divided into grainsor small particles. </DL>
<A NAME="grainelevator">
<B>grain elevator,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a building for storing grain, often with machinery for loading and unloading, cleaning, and mixing the grain. <DD><B> 2. </B>a machine that lifts grain from a train or ship to the storage bins. </DL>
<A NAME="grainfield">
<B>grainfield, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a field in which grain grows. </DL>
<A NAME="graining">
<B>graining, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the grain in wood or marble. <BR> <I>Ex. Now I'll show you to your room--I want you to notice especially the graining of the highboy (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>painting in imitation of the grain in wood or marble. <DD><B> 3. </B>the artificial markings on the surface of a skin to imitate morocco and other varieties of leather. </DL>
<A NAME="grainleather">
<B>grain leather,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> leather dressed with the grain side outward. </DL>
<A NAME="grainmoth">
<B>grain moth,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various moths whose larvae feed on stored grain. </DL>
<A NAME="grains">
<B>grains, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>grain</B> (1) and <B>grain</B> (2). </DL>
<A NAME="grainside">
<B>grain side,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the side of a skin on which the hair grew. </DL>
<A NAME="grainsofparadise">
<B>grains of paradise,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>cardamom seeds. <DD><B> 2. </B>the seeds of an African plant of the ginger family; guinea grains. They are used as a flavoring in cordials, foods, and pharmaceuticals. </DL>
<A NAME="grainsorghum">
<B>grain sorghum,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a variety of sorghum, such as durra, kaoliang, or kaffir corn, used as food for people and livestock. </DL>
<A NAME="grainweevil">
<B>grain weevil,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various small beetles that feed on stored grain. </DL>
<A NAME="grainworm">
<B>grain worm,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the larva of a grain moth that infests stored grain. </DL>
<A NAME="grainy">
<B>grainy, </B>adjective, <B>grainier,</B> <B>grainiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>like the grain of wood or marble. <DD><B> 2. </B>grainlike; granular. <BR> <I>Ex. a grainy surface.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>full of grains or grain. <BR> <I>Ex. grainy wood.</I> noun <B>graininess.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="graith">
<B>graith, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>(Scottish and British Dialect.) readiness; order; preparation. <DD><B> 2. </B>equipment; harness; apparatus. <DD><B> 3. </B>possessions. <DD><B> 4. </B>material; stuff. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to make ready; prepare; equip. </DL>
<B>grallatorial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with long-legged wading birds, such as the storks and herons. </DL>
<A NAME="gram">
<B>gram</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a unit of weight or mass in the metric system, equal to 15.432 grains avoirdupois. 28 grams weigh about 1 ounce avoirdupois. 1,000 grams equal 1 kilogram. In mass, a gram is approximately equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees centigrade (Celsius). (Abbr:) gm. Also, (British,) <B>gramme.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="gram">
<B>gram</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of several plants grown in the East Indies for food for people or animals, such as the chickpea and certain beans. </DL>
<A NAME="gram">
<B>-gram</B> (1),<DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) <DD><B> 1. </B>something drawn or written; a message. <BR> <I>Ex. Cablegram = a cable message. Telegram = a telegraph message.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>something recorded; record; tracing. <BR> <I>Ex. Cardiogram = a record or tracing of the heart's movements.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="gram">
<B>-gram</B> (2),<DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) <DD><B> 1. </B>______ grams. <BR> <I>Ex. Kilogram = a thousand grams.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>______ of a gram. <BR> <I>Ex. Centigram = one hundredth of a gram.</I> </DL>
<B>grama, </B>noun, or <B>grama grass,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a genus of low pasture grasses abundant in the western and southwestern United States, especially blue grama, the most common variety. </DL>
<A NAME="gramadan">
<B>gramadan, </B>noun. <B>=gramdan.</B></DL>
<A NAME="gramarye">
<B>gramarye,</B> <B>gramarie,</B> or <B>gramary, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) occult learning; magic. <BR> <I>Ex. dark words of gramarye (Scott).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="gramatom">
<B>gram atom,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) the mass of an element in grams that equals numerically the element's atomic weight. <BR> <I>Ex. A gram atom of oxygen is 16 grams.</I> </DL>
