grate Meaning & Definition
What Does Grate Mean?
Grate is used as a noun meaning grating. It can also mean a barred frame for cooking over a fire. As a verb, it means to furnish with a grate. As a verb, it means to reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough.
Grate at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈgrāt/ |
| Synonyms | fret, grating and grind |
| Antonyms | appease, conciliate and mollify |
| Plural | grates |
| Verb forms | grates, grating, grated |
Grate Definition (Noun)
- grating
- a barred frame for cooking over a fire
- a frame or bed of iron bars to hold a stove or furnace fire
- fireplace
- cage, prison
Grate as a Verb
- to furnish with a grate
The lower windows were grated.
Verb
- to reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough
grate cheese
- fret, irritate
- to gnash or grind noisily
- to cause to make a rasping sound
- to utter in a harsh voice
- abrade
- to rub or rasp noisily
metal grating against metal
- to cause irritation : jar
a voice that grates on the nerves
Synonyms of Grate
Antonyms of Grate
Grate in a Sentence
The grate stopped the sheep from escaping from their field.
to grate a window
I need to grate the cheese before the potato is cooked.
Listening to his teeth grate all day long drives me mad.
The chalk grated against the board.
She’s nice enough, but she can begin to grate if there is no-one else to talk to.
A great storm is approaching our shores.
the great auk
great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather
great with child
great worry
a great decision
a great deed
a great show of wealth
Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era.
a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, writer etc.
Alexander the Great
He's not a great one for reading.
You are great at singing.
Dinner was great.
Great Scott!
The lower windows were grated.
grate cheese
metal grating against metal
a voice that grates on the nerves
unintentionally or not, you say rude things that grate people
the sled grated along the bare pavement
he grated the pieces of metal together
Word Forms & Grammar
grate
grates
grat·ed
grat·ing
grated
grating
grat·er noun
grat·ing·ly adverb
grater
graters
gratingly
grate (plural grates)
grate (third-person singular simple present grates, present participle grating, simple past and past participle grated)
grate (comparative more grate, superlative most grate)
Words That Rhyme With Grate
Origin of Grate
Origin 1: Middle English, from Medieval Latin crata, grata hurdle, alteration of Latin cratis hurdle
Origin 2: see grate:1
Origin 3: Middle English, from Anglo-French grater to scratch, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krazzōn to scratch
Origin 4: From Middle English grate or Italian grata, both from Latin crātis (“wickerwork, hurdle”); however, compare crate, from Proto-Germanic *kradô (“(wicker) basket”). Doublet of grid, griddle, gridiron, and grill. Possibly related to hurdle.
Origin 5: From Middle English graten, from Old French grater (“to scrape”) ( > French gratter), from Frankish *krattōn, from Proto-Germanic *krattōną. Cognate with Old High German krazzon[1] ( > German kratzen (“to scrawl”) > Danish kradse), Icelandic krassa (“to scrawl”) [2] and Danish kratte. Doublet of cratch.
Origin 6: From Latin grātus (“agreeable”).
First Known Use
14th century
1547
14th centuryt
Grate: Your Questions Answered
Is grate a noun or a verb?
Grate is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for grate?
You can replace grate with words such as fret, grating and grind. See the full list of grate synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of grate?
Words opposite in meaning to grate are appease, conciliate, mollify and oblige.
What is the plural of grate?
The plural of grate is grates.
What is the past tense of grate?
The past tense of grate is grated. The present participle is grating.