GRATE
What does "GRATE" mean?
To shred food by rubbing it against a rough surface, or to make a harsh scraping sound.
Meanings
- To reduce to small shreds by rubbing against a serrated surface. She grated a block of parmesan over the pasta.
- To make a harsh rasping sound by rubbing. The rusty hinge grated as the gate swung open.
- To irritate or annoy persistently. His constant whistling began to grate on her nerves. figurative
- A framework of metal bars covering an opening or holding fuel in a fireplace. Logs crackled on the iron grate.
Word origin
The verb 'to shred/rasp' is from Old French 'grater' (to scrape), of Germanic origin; the noun for the bars is from Latin 'cratis' (wickerwork, lattice).
Remember it
A GRATE is GREAT with the letters rearranged — and grating cheese is a great way to remember the swap.
A little poem
Cheese falls in snow against the tin,
and my knuckles, too, are folded in.
couplet
Wordplay
- I told the cheese it was doing a great job. It said, 'Don't grate on me.'
What it teaches
The same friction that wears a thing down can also be what makes it useful.
Quick facts
What does GRATE mean?
To shred food by rubbing it against a rough surface, or to make a harsh scraping sound.
Is GRATE a valid word?
Yes — GRATE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is GRATE?
GRATE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does GRATE come from?
The verb 'to shred/rasp' is from Old French 'grater' (to scrape), of Germanic origin; the noun for the bars is from Latin 'cratis' (wickerwork, lattice).
What can GRATE teach us?
The same friction that wears a thing down can also be what makes it useful.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.