grain

grain
grain early 13c., "scarlet dye made from insects" (late 12c. in surnames), from O.Fr. grain (12c.) "seed, grain, particle, berry, scarlet dye" (see COCHINEAL (Cf. cochineal) for last sense), from L. granum "seed, a grain, small kernel" (see CORN (Cf. corn) (1)). As a collective singular meaning "seed of wheat and allied grasses used as food," it is attested from early 14c. Extended from c.1300 to other objects (e.g. salt, sand). As a unit of weight, from 1540s. Used of wood (1560s), from the arrangement of fibers, which resemble seeds. Hence, against the grain (1650), a metaphor from carpentry: cutting across the fibers of the wood is more difficult than cutting along them.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • grain — [ grɛ̃ ] n. m. • v. 1160; lat. granum → graine I ♦ 1 ♦ Fruit comestible des graminées. Le grain des céréales est un caryopse. Grain de blé, de maïs, de mil, de riz, d orge. Ôter les grains d un épi. ⇒ égrener. Menuis. GRAIN D ORGE. Assemblage à… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Grain — (gr[=a]n), n. [F. grain, L. granum, grain, seed, small kernel, small particle. See {Corn}, and cf. {Garner}, n., {Garnet}, {Gram} the chick pea, {Granule}, {Kernel.}] [1913 Webster] 1. A single small hard seed; a kernel, especially of those… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • grain — Grain, m. monosyllab. Est ce qui vient en l espi, contenant farine. Granum fromenti, hordei, siliginis, auenae, et semblables. Ainsi en bail à moison de grain on dit, Moyennant dix muyds de grain, les deux parts bled, le tiers avoine. Et selon ce …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • grain — [greın] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(food)¦ 2¦(lines in wood etc)¦ 3¦(small piece)¦ 4 a grain of something 5 against the grain 6¦(measure)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: Latin granum seed ] 1.) …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Grain — симметричный алгоритм синхронного потокового шифрования, ориентированный, в первую очередь на аппаратную реализацию. Шифр представлен на конкурсе eSTREAM в 2004 году Мартином Хеллом, Томасом Юханссоном и Вилли Мейером. Алгоритм стал одним из… …   Википедия

  • grain — [ greın ] noun ** 1. ) uncount the seeds from crops such as wheat, rice, or CORN that are used for food: bags of mixed grain a ) uncount food crops such as wheat, rice, or CORN: golden fields of grain b ) count an individual seed from one of… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • grain — [grān] n. [ME greyne < OFr grein, a seed, grain (< L granum, a seed, kernel) & grainne, seed or grain collectively (< LL grana, fem., orig. pl. of L granum) < IE base * ĝer , to become ripe > CORN1, KERNEL] 1. a small, hard seed or …   English World dictionary

  • GRAIN — is an international non governmental organization based in Barcelona, Spain, which works toward sustainable agriculture. It was formed upon the realization that the genetic diversity of the world s food crops has been drastically eliminated. Very …   Wikipedia

  • Grain — 〈[ grɛın] m. 6; bei Zahlenangaben Pl.: 〉 1. älteres kleines Juwelengewicht, 1/4 Karat 2. Gewichts u. Maßeinheit in Großbrit. u. den USA, 0,0648 g [frz. u. engl., „Korn“ <lat. granum „Korn“] * * * I Grain   [greɪn; englisch »Korn«] der, s/ ( …   Universal-Lexikon

  • grain — ► NOUN 1) wheat or other cultivated cereal used as food. 2) a single seed or fruit of a cereal. 3) a small, hard particle of a substance such as sand. 4) the smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1 / 5760 of a… …   English terms dictionary

  • grain|y — «GRAY nee», adjective, grain|i|er, grain|i|est. 1. like the grain of wood or marble. 2. grainlike; granular: »a grainy surface …   Useful english dictionary

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