Grain
/ɡreɪn/
Grain refers to the seed of cereal plants, the fibrous texture in materials like wood, a very small amount of something, or a slight trace of a quality.
Examples
- The fabric shows a visible grain.
- She showed not a grain of patience.
- The silo stores over a thousand tons of grain.
- She spoke with a grained hint of sarcasm.
- This leather has a very fine grain.
Meanings
The word grain traces back to Latin granum, meaning seed or grain. It passed into Old French as grain and then into Middle English, retaining its core agricultural meaning.
Examples
- We harvested the grain before the rain started.
- This bread is made from whole grains.
- The silo stores over a thousand tons of grain.
- She poured the grained mixture into the bowl.
- They are growing organic grain on their farm.
By the 16th century, grain was applied metaphorically to the fibrous structure of materials like wood and leather, drawing a visual parallel to tiny seeds aligned in a pattern.
Examples
- Always sand the wood grain with the grain.
- This leather has a very fine grain.
- The grained surface gave it a rustic look.
- He carved against the grain and split the wood.
- The fabric shows a visible grain.
Because actual grains are small, the word became a metaphor for any minimal quantity, appearing in idioms by the 17th century.
Examples
- Take his advice with a grain of salt.
- There's not a grain of doubt in her mind.
- Add a grain of sugar to balance the flavor.
- Not a grained speck of evidence was found.
- She showed not a grain of patience.
By the 18th century, grain was used poetically to suggest a subtle presence of a human quality, as in 'a grain of truth' or 'a grain of kindness'.
Examples
- He has a grain of kindness in him.
- There's a grain of humor in her stern expression.
- Even villains may have a grain of virtue.
- She spoke with a grained hint of sarcasm.
- The story holds a grain of wisdom.