grain
The small hard seeds of plants like wheat or rice that people eat, or the plants grown for these seeds.
The small hard seeds of cereal plants such as wheat, rice, or corn, or the crops grown to provide these seeds as food.
A very small, hard piece of something like sand, salt, or sugar.
A very small, hard particle of a substance such as sand, salt, or sugar.
A very small amount of something you cannot touch, like truth or hope.
A very small amount of something, especially something abstract such as truth, sense, or hope.
The lines and direction you can see in materials like wood or stone.
The natural pattern and direction of the fibers in materials such as wood, stone, or leather.
Small dots you can see in a photo or film that make the picture look rough or not smooth.
Small visible dots or roughness in a photograph, film, or digital image, usually because of the way it was recorded.
A very small unit of weight, used in some technical areas like bullets and medicine, equals about 0.065 grams.
A unit of weight equal to about 0.065 grams or one seven-thousandth of a pound, used especially for measuring bullets and some medicines.
To become small hard pieces, or to make a surface look like it has a natural grain pattern.
To form small hard particles, or to treat a surface so that it has a grain-like pattern, as with leather or wood.
- Base: grain
- Plural: grain, grains
- Base: grain
- 3rd Person Singular: grains
- Present Participle: graining
- Past: grained
a grain of truth
1small part that is true
A very small part of something that is true, even if most of it is not true.
- There’s a grain of truth in every rumor.
- Her comment had a grain of truth, even if it sounded harsh.
- The story may be exaggerated, but it contains a grain of truth.
against the grain
1in a way someone naturally dislikes
In a way that feels wrong or uncomfortable for someone, or that is very different from what they usually do or like.
- Being rude goes against the grain with him.
- The decision ran against the grain of public opinion.
- Working in a very strict office goes against the grain for many creative people.
grain elevator
1tall grain storage building
A tall building where large amounts of grain are stored and moved, often near farms or train lines.
- Trucks lined up outside the grain elevator during harvest season.
- The town’s skyline is dominated by a massive grain elevator.
- Farmers bring their wheat to the local grain elevator for storage.
grain of sand
1single tiny piece of sand
One very small piece of sand.
- Every grain of sand sparkled in the sun.
- A single grain of sand can damage a camera lens.
- The beach was covered in countless grains of sand.
refined grain
1processed grain with parts removed
Grain that has been processed so that some parts, like the outside layer and the germ, are taken away.
- Dietitians advise limiting refined grain in your meals.
- White bread is usually made from refined grain.
- Refined grain products often contain less fiber than whole grains.
whole grain
1grain with all parts kept
Grain that still has all its parts, including the outside layer, so it is less processed and usually healthier.
- Nutritionists recommend choosing whole grain products whenever possible.
- This cereal is made from 100% whole grain oats.
- Switching to whole grain bread can improve your diet.
whole-grain bread
1bread made from whole grain flour
Bread that is made mostly from whole grain flour, not from white refined flour.
- She prefers whole-grain bread to white bread.
- The doctor suggested replacing white bread with whole-grain bread.
- Whole-grain bread usually has more fiber and a stronger taste.
go against the grain
1do something unnatural or uncomfortable
To do something that feels wrong, strange, or very different from what a person usually does or believes, or from what most people do.
- It goes against the grain for me to lie to anyone.
- It goes against the grain for her to lie, even to protect a friend.
- Helping them might go against the grain, but it's the right thing to do.
- Cutting jobs goes against the grain of everything the company stands for.
- Wasting food really goes against the grain in this household.
take something with a grain of salt
1not completely believe something
To not fully believe something you are told, because you think it may not be true or may be made bigger or better than it really is.
- You should take his promises with a grain of salt—he often exaggerates.
- You should take his promises with a grain of salt.
- I take all online reviews with a grain of salt.
- Take these early reports with a grain of salt until we have more facts.
- I’d take anything you read on that website with a grain of salt.