Meaning of grate in English
Table of contents
Verb
grateEtymology
late Middle English: from Old French grater, of Germanic origin; related to German kratzen‘to scratch’Definitions
1. furnish with a grateExamples
- « a grated fireplace »
Derived terms
- 2. gnaw into
Examples
- « make resentful or angry »
- « The unjustice rankled her »
- « his resentment festered »
- 3. reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface
Examples
- « grate carrots and onions »
- « grate nutmeg »
Derived terms
- 4. make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together
Examples
- « grate one's teeth in anger »
Derived terms
- 5. scratch repeatedly
Examples
- « The cat scraped at the armchair »
Derived terms
Noun
grateEtymology
Middle English (meaning ‘a grating’): from Old French, based on Latin cratis‘hurdle’Definitions
1. a frame of iron bars to hold a fire- 2. a harsh rasping sound made by scraping something
- 3. a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air