A grain is a tiny seed from plants such as wheat or rice. People use grains to make food like bread and cereal. It is the most common meaning of the word.
Farmers grow grain for bread and food.
She bought a bag of rice grains.
A grain can mean a very small piece of a hard material. It is often used for small particles like sand or salt. This meaning helps describe tiny things.
There is a grain of sand in my shoe.
He found a grain of salt on the table.
Grain is the way lines or patterns appear naturally in wood or cloth. It shows the surface texture. People use 'grain' to describe these patterns.
The wood has a beautiful grain pattern.
She likes the grain of the fabric on her shirt.
Grain is a small unit to measure weight. It is used in old measuring systems for things like bullets or medicine. One grain is very light, about 0.065 grams.
The bullet weighs ten grains exactly.
The medicine dose is two grains per tablet.
Grain means the way fibers line up in materials like wood or metal. This affects how strong or smooth the material is. It is important in woodworking and manufacturing.
Cut the wood along the grain for better results.
The metal's grain affects its strength.
As a verb, 'grain' means to form into small particles or crystals. For example, sugar or salt can grain when drying or cooling. It is used less often but shows a physical change.
Sugar grains when it cools down.
Salt grained on the kitchen floor.
Grain can mean a very small part of something, often an idea or feeling. We use it in phrases like 'a grain of truth' to mean a little bit of something real or true.
There is a grain of truth in the story.
I have a grain of doubt about this idea.
As a verb, 'grain' can mean to move or shift direction, especially for sails catching wind. This is a rare, old-fashioned use mostly in sailing or nautical contexts.
The sails grained to catch the wind better.
The ship grained slowly along the coast.
