grate
Pronunciation Noun

grate (plural grates)

  1. a horizontal metal grill through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot
    The grate stopped the sheep from escaping from their field.
    • 1591, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene iv]:
      a secret grate of iron bars
  2. a frame or bed, or kind of basket, of iron bars, for holding fuel while burning
Synonyms Translations Verb

grate (grates, present participle grating; past and past participle grated)

  1. (transitive) to furnish with grates; to protect with a grating or crossbars
    to grate a window
Verb

grate (grates, present participle grating; past and past participle grated)

  1. (transitive, cooking) to shred (things, usually foodstuffs), by rubbing across a grater
    I need to grate the cheese before the potato is cooked.
  2. (intransitive) to make an unpleasant rasping sound, often as the result of rubbing against something
    • 1856, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part 3 Chapter X, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
      The gate suddenly grated. It was Lestiboudois; he came to fetch his spade, that he had forgotten. He recognised Justin climbing over the wall, and at last knew who was the culprit who stole his potatoes.
    Listening to his teeth grate all day long drives me mad.
    The chalk grated against the board.
  3. (by extension, intransitive) to get on one's nerves; to irritate, annoy
    She’s nice enough, but she can begin to grate if there is no-one else to talk to.
  4. (by extension, transitive) to annoy
    • 2015, Art Levy in Florida Trend, Roland Martin is a Florida 'Icon' ↗
      one of the issues that's kind of grating me a little bit is weed control.
    • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene i]:
      News, my good lord Rome […] grates me.
Translations Translations Adjective

grate

  1. (obsolete) serving to gratify; agreeable.
Adjective

grate

  1. Obsolete spelling of great#English|great
    • c. 1815, Mary Woody, A true account of Omie Wise
      He promisd her a grate reward



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