gram
gb/ɡɹˈæm/ us/ɡɹˈæm/
A2
English
~ 6100
milligramm, Insta, csicseriborsó, sürgöny
NOUN
A2
1
milligramm
B1
Usage pattern:
[number] grams of [uncountable noun]
The recipe calls for 200 grams of flour.
A recepthez 200 gramm liszt kell.
This ring weighs less than five grams.
Ez a gyűrű kevesebb mint öt grammot nyom.
The label says there are 10 grams of protein per serving.
Gold is priced per gram on the market.
He lost almost 300 grams after just one week of dieting.
Learner examples
Please buy 500 grams of rice.
Kérlek, vegyél 500 gramm rizst.
This apple is about 150 grams.
Ez az alma körülbelül 150 grammos.
The baby gained 200 grams in one week.
There are 4 grams of sugar in this drink.
We need 50 grams of butter for the cake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'gram' with 'gramme' or 'g'. In modern international English, 'gram' and the abbreviation 'g' are most common; 'gramme' is mainly a British historical spelling. Also, do not say 'gram of sugars' for a total amount on labels; use 'grams of sugar'.
Meaning
metric unit of mass
Collocations
grams of sugar
|a few grams
|100 grams
|per gram
|grams of protein
|grams of fat
Synonyms
g (The standard written abbreviation used especially in scientific texts and on packaging.)
Antonyms
kilogram (A related unit that is one thousand times larger, sometimes contrasted with grams when talking about small versus large masses.)
Themes
science
|math
|food
|daily life
|education
Definition
A small unit for weight in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.
A metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram, used for measuring weight.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
Insta
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] posts [something] on the gram
She’s trying to sell her art by promoting it on the gram.
Úgy próbálja eladni az alkotásait, hogy az Instán népszerűsíti őket.
He went viral on the gram after that funny video.
Azután a vicces videó után felkapott lett az Instán.
I don’t really post on the gram anymore, but I still scroll.
Brands pay her to feature their products on the gram.
They met through mutual friends on the gram.
Learner examples
He shares travel photos on the gram.
Utazási fotókat oszt meg az Instán.
She is very popular on the gram.
Nagyon népszerű az Instán.
I don’t like to post my face on the gram.
You can message me on the gram.
Many singers use the gram to talk to fans.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'gram' is correct in all situations. In formal writing or serious communication, use 'Instagram', not 'gram' or 'the gram'. Also, 'gram' in this sense is usually used with 'the' in English (e.g., 'on the gram').
Meaning
Instagram (informal short form)
Collocations
on the gram
|post it on the gram
|big on the gram
|famous on the gram
|follow me on the gram
|blow up on the gram
Synonyms
Instagram (The full, standard name of the platform; neutral and appropriate in all contexts.)
Antonyms
offline (Refers to life away from the internet or social media, contrasted with activity on the gram.)
Themes
technology
|social media
|daily life
|communication
Definition
A short, casual way to say the name of the social media app Instagram.
An informal shortened way of referring to the social media platform Instagram.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] cooks gram with [ingredient]
The curry is made with black gram cooked in a rich tomato sauce.
Ez a curry gazdag paradicsomszószban főtt fekete mungóbabból készül.
Soak the gram overnight before boiling it.
Áztasd be a csicseriborsót éjszakára, mielőtt megfőzöd.
Gram flour is used to make many popular Indian snacks.
They roasted the gram and ate it as a simple snack.
In this region, farmers mainly grow wheat and different kinds of gram.
Learner examples
My mother uses gram to make curry.
Anyukám csicseriborsót használ curry készítéséhez.
We soaked the gram in water all night.
Egész éjszaka vízben áztattuk a csicseriborsót.
They sell roasted gram at the market.
She buys gram flour to make bread.
Gram is a common food in India.
Common mistake:
Learners outside South Asia may not recognize this meaning and may confuse it with the unit of weight. In many contexts in Indian English, 'gram' alone can mean chickpeas or similar pulses, especially when talking about food or farming.
Meaning
pulse seed used as food
Collocations
black gram
|green gram
|Bengal gram
|roasted gram
|gram flour
|soak the gram
Synonyms
chickpea (The most common specific type of gram in English; 'gram' can also refer more broadly to several related pulses in South Asian English.)
Antonyms
meat (Not a true antonym, but often contrasted with gram as an animal versus plant source of protein.)
Themes
food
|culture
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A small dried seed from a plant like chickpea, used in Indian and South Asian food.
The dried seed of certain legume plants, especially chickpeas and related pulses, used as food in South Asian and other cuisines.
NOUN
C1
ARCHAIC
4
sürgöny
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] sends a gram to [someone]
In the novel, the hero receives a gram announcing his father’s death.
A regényben a hős sürgönyt kap, amely apja halálhírét közli.
He promised to send a gram as soon as he reached the city.
Megígérte, hogy sürgönyt küld, amint megérkezik a városba.
The office boy rushed in with a gram stamped URGENT.
Families would sometimes get a birthday gram delivered to the door.
During the war, a gram from the front could bring both hope and fear.
Learner examples
Long ago, people sent a gram instead of an email.
Régen az emberek e-mail helyett sürgönyt küldtek.
She got a gram with very bad news.
Nagyon rossz hírt tartalmazó sürgönyt kapott.
He went to the post office to send a gram.
In old movies, a man brings a gram to the house.
The story starts when a gram arrives late at night.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is still common because it appears in older books and movies. In modern English, 'gram' for 'telegram' is very rare and sounds old-fashioned; in everyday speech people now use 'message', 'text', 'email', or 'call' instead.
Meaning
telegram (old short form)
Collocations
send a gram
|urgent gram
|wire a gram
|receive a gram
|birthday gram
Synonyms
telegram (The full standard word; 'gram' was a clipped informal form and is now rare and dated.)
Antonyms
phone call (A common modern way to send a spoken message instantly, contrasting with the older, written telegraph gram.)
Themes
communication
|history
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An old short word for a telegram, a written message people sent long ago by telegraph.
An old informal shortened form of 'telegram', a written message sent by telegraph.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gram
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈæm/
US/ɡɹˈæm/
Syllables & stress
gram (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (gram)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gram
- Plural: grams
Word family
Expressions
gram for gram
1/ɡɹˈæm fɚ ɡɹˈæm/
fixed phrase
compared by equal weight
Used to compare two things when you look at the same weight of each, measured in grams.
Examples
- Gram for gram, cheese can have more calories than chocolate.
- They found that, gram for gram, this material is stronger than steel.
on the gram
1/ˈɔn ðə ɡɹˈæm/
fixed phrase
informal
on Instagram (informal)
On the social media app Instagram, usually doing things like posting or looking at photos and videos.
Examples
- She spends hours every night on the gram.
- That cafe looks much nicer on the gram than in real life.
- He built his whole business by promoting it on the gram.
the gram
1/ðə ɡɹˈæm/
fixed phrase
informal
Instagram, as a place or thing
A casual way to talk about Instagram as a place where people post and look at content.
Examples
- He’s taking a break from the gram for a month.
- That outfit is definitely for the gram, not for comfort.
- She runs three accounts on the gram for different hobbies.