Definition of grain in English:

grain

noun ɡreɪnɡreɪn

1mass noun Wheat or any other cultivated cereal used as food.
（作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类）
Example sentencesExamples
- Hernandez is most praising of corn, even hinting of the grain's possible superiority to wheat.
- They keep down the rodent population in Egypt's economically important grain fields along the Nile.
- Meanwhile, the late break is increasing the pressure on grain growers wanting to plant canola.
- Thus, even if a curious farmer were to plant some genetically modified grain received as food aid, its continued presence in the field is unlikely.
- With a few grains of rice and barley from the bottom of one of the ship's sacks, the sailor planted what would become large fields of grain.
- The food grain was first domesticated over 10,000 years ago in the Middle East.
- Students learned the impact plant breeders had on the quality and quantity of grain as well as consumer products.
- In rural areas, rats are a threat to seed and grain crops.
- Their enterprise consists of 500 breeding ewes and 40 suckler cows in association with 50 acres of sugar beet, the rest is in grain.
- He now had two patches of grain and maize while apricots, cherries, plums and quince hung heavily from boughs covered in thick, grey lichen.
- He says that while the area will never produce the quantities of the huge grain-growing areas, there is massive potential for the region.
- Greenbugs are a serious pest of grain and sorghum in the Southern Plains.
- Grain growers want the best price for their produce.
- The crop farmers have wheat and grain and corn and potatoes and squash and beans and lettuce.
- The staple grain is wheat and Pakistan is a predominantly bread-eating country.
- In the north and the west, where the climate is too dry to grow rice, wheat is the staple grain.
- Potatoes had the advantage of producing three times as much food per acre as grain.
- Pollination is the transfer of pollen - plant grains that contain male DNA - from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower.
- They grow grain, sorghum, and wheat with rest periods in between.
Synonyms
cereal, cereal crops
1. 1.1 The seeds of wheat or other cultivated cereals.
  （作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类）
  Example sentencesExamples
  You also can train them to return to the coop during the day by putting grain or their favorite food scraps in the coop.
  Pots are made in various sizes for drawing water, cooking, brewing beer, and storing grain and other foods.
  Quail typically hunt for seeds, grain, grasses, plant leaves and buds, acorns, and insects.
  Government storehouses are overflowing with food grain.
  Food grain is brought from Gojam and used to feed the people.
  Continued wet weather can affect the quality of the grain, so it can only be used for the cheaper animal feed market.
  The other issue of grave concern is the continual importation of maize grain.
  Our team on the ground need grain and specialised food to bring immediate relief to people.
  He described the situation as alarming because, according to experts, the quality of the grain was deteriorating with every passing day.
  The mutant lines also had higher seed weights and grain yields per plant than the parental line.
  The best vodkas are made from grain, with wheat and rye top of the list.
  However, despite the increase in the monthly rate of inflation, there was a significant decline in the prices of food items especially maize meal and grain.
  Durum wheat is an important cereal whose grain is used predominantly for food products such as pasta, couscous, and burghul.
  In fall and winter, Northern Pintails eat seeds and waste grain.
  We have power shortages and shortages of food grain, vegetables and grocery items.
  It was caused by a pathogen that invaded the wheat grain, and also affected durum wheats and triticale.
  You need the disintegrating quality of the grain to give you a creamy but firm texture.
  At times they eat arthropods, seeds, and grain, but they are more carnivorous than crows.
  Harissa a traditional meal, consists of wheat grain and lamb cooked over low heat.
  But any untreated food like hay or grain cannot be imported and they're not going to be allowed for the Olympics.
2A single fruit or seed of a cereal.
谷粒
a few grains of corn
几粒玉米。
Example sentencesExamples
- The individual grains of wheat and rice are also fruits by this definition.
- The risotto turned out to be excellent and very well seasoned, with its fat grains of al dente rice and its large chunks of tasty mushrooms.
- It was more of a soup than a pudding, with soft grains of rice resting beneath a slightly cardamom-ized sweetened milk, topped with chopped pistachio nuts.
- We have a reliable supply of grains and very good quality water supply so we have something to work with.
- Grain flakes or rolled grains are sliced and then flattened between rollers.
- Inside a caravan two anti-war protesters cooked their final few grains of rice before waving goodbye.
- If we plant one seed of barley, when it matures we will have several grains of barley.
- You may need to add grains of rice or beans and shake to get scouring action with these products also.
- Where people are wealthier, there is the luxury of experimenting with a variety of breads which may include more types of grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
- His diet consists mainly of grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables and non-stimulating drinks.
- I got into the raw foods theory when I was in my late twenties and would only eat raw vegetables and raw fruit, with a small amount of grains and nuts.
- I like to go one better and add grains of boiled rice as well.
- I would roast and cook the grains in quantities large enough to serve several times in the coming days and put a small pile on my husband's plate for a taste.
- Starlings eat a diverse, omnivorous diet of invertebrates, berries and other fruit, grains, and seeds.
- Eight grains of rice were scattered across the table, polished and gleaming like tiny gems.
- Although the grains of rice were just this side of undercooked, the sauce was packed with a rich, pungent flavour.
- Other materials favoured by Yin and fellow artists are human hair, beans, pearls, stones or grains of rice.
- It's made with thick grains of sushi rice and served in a bowl with two warm croquettes filled with mango sauce.
- Those tastes were wonderfully different, especially the seeds and grains of the outback.
- Single grains of sweetcorn are excellent in natural and dyed and/or flavoured forms.
Synonyms
kernel, seed, grist, fruit
1. 2.1 A small hard particle of a substance such as salt or sand.
  小而硬的颗粒（如盐粒或沙粒）
  a grain of salt
  一粒盐。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The highest ever count - 1,100 grains of pollen per cubic metre - was recorded in Cardiff in 1992.
  That was 360 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air.
  We banged the mortar and pestle like oriental drummers in the echoing stainless steel kitchen, but our ground cumin and coriander looked more like gravel than grains of the finest spices.
  The lengthy but exciting search for dust grains will be conducted by Internet volunteers.
  The last word he shouts after her when she leaves the house settles in his mind the way a grain of sand comes to a halt in the dense flesh of oysters.
  This early embryo is a ball of cells smaller than a grain of sand.
  Well, some of us may give objects personalities but we've never come even remotely close to assigning a personality to something like a grain of sand.
  Pollen grain number was calculated for 20 flowers (five each from four trees) of each type.
  Forecasters said the pollen count across Greater Manchester would be high today, between 50 and 149 grains of grass pollen per cubic metre of air.
  During the event, particles smaller than a grain of sand burn up as they stream through the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of 150,000 miles an hour.
  Pollen grain viability at the time of anther dehiscence and later stages was estimated using the fluorescein diacetate test.
  This planet is a grain of sand in a universe that is so much greater than we can dream.
  It contains particles smaller than a grain of sand, each one containing a unique nine-digit identification code.
  This wider mix of particle sizes is important because how much sediment a river carries also depends on the relative mix of coarse and fine grains.
  A large percentage of the sand grains are composed of fragments from the green alga Halimeda.
  The perfect mix for sandcastles is one part water for every eight parts of sand but another factor is the density of the sand, with finer grains producing a better mix.
  The Leonids are grains of dust from comet Tempel-Tuttle colliding into Earth's atmosphere.
  Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand.
  You don't regard a grain of sand when building a pyramid; you interact with a mass of sand.
  I've learned all about negative calories and calorie-free soup today (hot water with a grain of salt in it).
  Synonyms
  granule, particle, speck, spot, mote, mite, dot
  bit, piece
  scrap, crumb, fragment, flake, morsel, iota, molecule, atom
2. 2.2 The smallest possible quantity or amount of a quality.
  最小的数量；最少的质量
  there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said
  他说的话没有一丁点是真的。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Yesterday's review by two animal behaviour experts at Cambridge University suggests that there might be more than a grain of truth in such stories.
  Hints, like Halloween, often hold more than a grain of truth.
  In most of these criticisms there is a grain of truth, but collectively they suggest a determination not to be pleased.
  Anybody who knows him will find more than a grain of truth in the story, for he is one of the most taciturn men in football.
  Illusions need not be all false; they may contain grains of truth.
  The bepimpled teenager channelling his angst through a controller in the darkness of his parent's basement is a cliché with more than a few grains of truth.
  Old notions die hard, especially when they contain a solid grain of truth.
  I was beginning to think how beautiful every grain of freedom was.
  I don't know anyone with a grain of football knowledge who thinks that England will saunter to a four-goal victory.
  But, I should confess, there was still a tiny voice in the back of my mind wondering if there might still be a grain of truth in the story about a suggested link between autism and MMR.
  He pondered the possibility of a grain of truth in each, and lost himself in thought.
  But some religious practices have grains of truth in them.
  The grains of truth in their claim explode in their minds into hatred and obliterate all reason.
  The barbs aimed from the English duo of Austin Healey and Matt Dawson in 2001 hurt, but Henry has been big enough to accept the grains of truth and move on.
  Synonyms
  trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, tinge, shadow
  small amount, bit, little bit, soupçon
  spark, scintilla, ounce, modicum, iota, jot, whit, scrap, shred, spot, drop, pinch
  Irish stim
  informal smidgen, smidge, tad
  archaic scantling, scruple
3. 2.3 A discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc., typically visible only when a surface is magnified.
  （尤指只有表面被放大才能看得见的）（金属、火成岩等的）微粒；晶粒
  Example sentencesExamples
  Quartz grains are angular, suggestive of eolian origin.
  The grain size of an igneous rock depends upon the rate of cooling.
  The diamonds he watches so closely are not the rocks on the rings of the rich and famous, they are tiny grains of pure carbon coating the blades, polishers and shapers the company produces.
  On the basis of their morphology, they are interpreted to be late-stage igneous grains.
  Some are made up of dense, black, homogeneous basalt, with no visible mineral grains.
4. 2.4 A piece of solid propellant for use in a rocket engine.
  （用于火箭发动机的）固体推进剂
  Example sentencesExamples
  Minor variations in the weight of the projectile, form of the rotating band, and moisture content and temperature of the propellant grains.
3The smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1/5760 of a pound troy and 1/7000 of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 0.0648 gram).
格令（金衡制和常衡制中最小的重量单位，等于金衡镑的1/5760和常衡磅的1/7000即约等于0. 0648 克）
Example sentencesExamples
- Pour your powder into the hopper, enter in your desired charge weight in grains, and press a button.
- It is available in two forms at sporting goods stores - one calibrated in grains and the other in grams.
- Bullet weights increasing from 110 to 180 grains in normal increments seemed like a sensible idea.
- Consider four 7mm cartridges, all firing 139-to 140 - grain bullets.
- They had to drop bullet weight about 20 grains but did they have to reduce velocity from .45 Colt loads?
- The ounce was approximately 450 grains, i.e. slightly heavier than the modern one.
- In the metric system, there are 454 grams to a pound but there are 7,000 grains.
- The weight is a few grains more which may stiffen the shaft a little.
- Prior to 1933, the name ‘dollar’ was used to refer to a unit of gold that had a weight of 23.22 grains.
- The power factor is simply bullet weight in grains multiplied by velocity in feet per second, divided by 1,000.
- Bullet weights from 185 to 230 grains were fired at combat distances with elevation being right on for all practical purposes.
- Incidentally, some may wonder why we have oddball bullet weights such as 139 and 154 grains.
- The prize nuggets ranged from about 12 grains to about 3 pennyweights.
- It's a boat-tailed bullet (that is, the rear of the bullet is tapered) and weighs 173 grains.
- It was a spinoff of a laboratory scale that was simply told to read grains instead of grams.
- It's not so surprising that people chose the grain (weighing four point eight centigrams) as the unit of measure.
- Multiply the hardness of the water in grains per gallon by 8 (or 7.866 to be more precise).
- How anyone dreamed up a system where 20 fluid ounces makes one pint, 437.5 grains makes one ounce and 1,760 yards makes one mile is beyond us.
4mass noun The longitudinal arrangement or pattern of fibres in wood, paper, etc.
（木头、纸张等的）纹路；纹理
he scored along the grain of the table with the knife
他用刀在桌上顺着木头的纹路刻着。
Example sentencesExamples
- Cut a narrow strip of fusible tricot interfacing along the lengthwise grain and apply it to the wrong side of the zipper seam.
- If you do woodwork at school, you learn to exploit the properties of wood, such as it splits along the grain.
- It is hard and durable, has good grain patterns, and mills and finishes nicely.
- The end grain of a very hard wood is used and the cuts into the wood are made along the grain.
- For garment sewing, where pattern pieces are usually cut on the lengthwise grain, try one or more of the following.
- For the best fit around the torso, position the body pattern pieces with their length along the crosswise grain.
- The direction of the grain, as well as the amount of figuring in the wood, can affect the way it is sanded and sawed.
- Cut the beef across the grain into paper thin slices.
- Wood may vary greatly in hardness, grain pattern, and grain direction.
- His fingers started absently tracing patterns in the wood grain on the bar.
- As soon as she was gone, I sighed loudly and stared at the table, mentally tracing the patterns of the wood grain.
- Heavy cutting of solid wood along the grain is best done with a dedicated ripping blade.
- Because polyurethanes are a surface finish, care should be taken to work along the grain.
- I haven't found anyone who claims 100 percent accuracy in identifying special grain patterns just by looking at bark.
- Translucent wood stains complement the natural beauty of wood by allowing the pattern of the grain to show.
- He lay on his side, staring at the pattern of the wood grain on the bedpost, wishing he could just drop off.
- Mark Bishop's Black Heart Myrtle platter has a simple shape that shows the rich colour and unusual grain of this timber.
- Cut the beef into very thin slices across the grain into bite-size pieces (or ask your butcher to do this).
- The fabric may need to be refolded along the crosswise grain to accommodate the pattern pieces.
- The wood grain should run longitudinally to minimize warping and cracking.
Synonyms
texture, intertexture, surface, finish, feel
weave, nap, fibre, fabric, pattern
1. 4.1 The texture of wood, stone, etc., as determined by the arrangement and size of constituent particles.
  （木头、石头等）纹理的粗糙程度；组成粒子的排列和大小
  the lighter, finer grain of the wood is attractive
  木头上细密、颜色浅的纹路很好看。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Like teak, it is prized for its strength, weight and working quality - the fine grain, for example, allows the wood to be polished to a high shine.
  The complete absence of grain and texture makes carving difficult and unrewarding.
  But perhaps the art of joinery is subtle enough to conceal the ill-will of the maker in the fine grain of the wood, or to obscure it with careful polishing.
  When cutting rocks is that most sedimentary rock will cut easier when you follow the grain in the rock.
  Texture: do you want the frame and molding to appear smooth and slick or do you want to feel the wood's grain?
  His enormous woodcuts depend upon many smaller woodcuts and upon the fine grain of the wood itself.
  I touched the wood of the central cabin, feeling solidity and wood grain warmed by the morning sun under my fingertips.
  Later, other tectonic events created a series of fractures that cut across the grain of the gneiss.
  We pushed open the 600 year-old great oak door, hard as bell metal with the patina of pilgrimage etched deep into its rough grain and stepped in.
  He let his weight carry him to the floor with his back leaning against the desk, the feel of the wood grain against his back called up memories that made him feel even weaker.
  When did you last trace the grain in a piece of wood, sing a song, or just hold someone's hand?
2. 4.2 The rough or wrinkled outer surface of leather, or of a similar artificial material.
  （皮革或其他类似人工材料的）粗糙面；皱面
  Example sentencesExamples
  Eagle's new ‘Ultra Ivory’ is a synthetic material with the grain and texture of real ivory.
  The Hissatsu's grip is black polymer with a molded-in deep pebble grain surface.
  Again, it works because there is nothing token or apologetic about it, and you end up not minding the hard plastic surfaces because they are honest enough not to ape leather grain.
3. 4.3Mining Lamination or planes of cleavage in materials such as stone and coal.
  〔矿〕（石头和煤等原料的）解理面；劈理面
4. 4.4Photography A grainy appearance of a photograph or negative, which is in proportion to the size of the emulsion particles composing it.
  〔摄〕颗粒（出现在照片或底片上，与组成其的乳胶粒的大小成比例）
  Example sentencesExamples
  The only flaw I spotted was a small amount of grain in a few key scenes.
  That said, at times the picture does have a fair amount of grain which is the biggest flaw in the image quality.
  Edge enhancement was kept at a minimum, and only a small amount of grain was spotted.
  There is a small amount of grain, though it's never overly intrusive while watching the film.
  The grain and camcorder quality degrade the already poor material to the point of being unwatchable.
5archaic A person's character or natural tendency.
〈古〉（人的）性格；天性
Example sentencesExamples
- And it doesn't go with the grain of human nature.
- The complexity of modern Britain which put at the heart of New Labour is just not reflected in the fine grain of this new movement.
- The last argument O'Neill deals with is that the market runs with the grain of human nature which is self interest.
- ‘You have to reflect the history of the area and you have to give something back which reflects the urban grain,’ he said.
- Welfare had to work with the grain of human nature.
Synonyms
personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, mentality, turn of mind, psychology, psyche, constitution, make-up, make, stamp, mould, cast
6historical mass noun Kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these.
〈史〉胭脂虫；胭脂虫红

verb ɡreɪnɡreɪn

[with object]

1Give a rough surface or texture to.
使表面（或纹理）粗糙
her fingers were grained with chalk dust
她的手指因为粉笔灰变得粗糙起来。
Example sentencesExamples
- Her body was becoming grained with sweat.
1. 1.1no object Form into grains.
  成粒状
  if the sugar does grain up, add more water
  糖如果结成粒状，就再加点水。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The acid had the desirable effect of keeping the sugar mixture clear and hard when it cooled, instead of graining, i.e. recrystallizing to granulated sugar.
2usually as noun grainingPaint (especially furniture or interior surfaces) in imitation of the grain of wood or marble.
（尤指将家具或内表面）漆成木纹（或大理石纹）
Example sentencesExamples
- Nathaniel Clements, another decorative artist from Dublin, likes to work with finishes such as marbling and graining that date back to the 18th century.
- In the room from North East, he settled on a faded coat of greenish-blue paint visible over earlier layers of white and trompe l'oeil graining.
- Among these are smoke graining (executed with a candle), dry graining (achieved by squeezing most of the paint off the brush), stenciling, and freehand painting.
- If you're familiar with wood graining this technique will be easy for you to master.
- I think I could paint and grain a door even today, because I can recollect how he used to do it.
3Remove hair from (a hide).
将（生皮）去毛
4North American Feed (a horse) on grain.
〈北美〉用谷物喂（马）
Example sentencesExamples
- I still have a field of good timothy and alfalfa I let them up the hill cut on shares, and I grain her just as much as I need.
- He dismounted, led the horse to the barn and grained him.
- Grain the horse no sooner than two hours after the ride.
- The boy who took the mare in and grained it knew one thing about the owner instantly.

Phrases

against the grain

Contrary to the natural inclination or feeling of someone or something.
格格不入，违反意愿
it goes against the grain to tell outright lies
Example sentencesExamples
- Not taking as final the manager's opinion on player purchases goes against the grain in the British game.
- But helping the poor directly would go against the grain of the ruling party's old guard.
- I've decided to go against the grain and not have any mixed drinks tonight.
- That crazy non-conformist is totally going against the grain by wearing an outfit designed by Wayne Cooper.
- We like to find unique clothes that bring out the best in our personalities and go against the grain.
- Most young people are afraid of not being accepted if they go against the grain.
- When did you last hear a politician genuinely appeal to our higher nature, go against the grain because what they believed in was simply the right thing to do?
- For an estate agent, having to talk a house down instead of up goes against the grain, admits Craig Grantham.
- Time after time, he's undertaken initiatives which have gone against the grain of public opinion.
- Much as it goes against the grain to praise the legal profession in any way, I was reminded earlier this week of one of the benefits of the profession.

Derivatives

grained

adjective ɡreɪndɡreɪnd

usually in combination coarse-grained sandstone
Example sentencesExamples
- It's an unusual formation of a very small grained hail that has the appearance and feel of snow.
- Techniques of steaming and bending wood allowed this grained organic material to assume the same linear, undecorated form as the chrome-plated steel and leather chairs of Bauhaus fame.
- So, it's off to pick up a sketch book, a few loose and large sheets of beautifully grained paper, and an array of acrylics and pencils this weekend.
- Only the slowly grown, stronger grained wood is allowed in the soundboard.
- When purchasing red meat the flesh should be firm, cherry red in colour and finely grained.

grainer

noun

It is part of a joint exhibition with the Painting Craft Teachers' Association and the wonderful pieces will be displayed alongside work by some of the country's best contemporary grainers and marblers.
Example sentencesExamples
- Those big 440 - grainers are a handful and I wasn't going to practice with them all afternoon.
- The latter may have been used as a hide grainer, but shovel damage prevents clear functional identification.
- ‘My father was a painter and decorator and wood grainer,’ she said.
- When the same type of shot as the first presented itself, the .309 and 165 grainer did their job again.

grainless

adjective

The technique is essentially a development of the woodcut, the earliest of printmaking methods, but linocuts are much simpler to make because the material is soft and grainless and therefore easier to work.
Example sentencesExamples
- Even with the grainy 35 mm Kodak High Speed Infrared film the light values are creamy and grainless with an almost ethereal beauty.
- This highly sophisticated camera - one of only six in the world - produces a lush, full-color, high resolution, vividly detailed, virtually grainless surface, large format, contact photograph in just 70 seconds!
- In this article, I describe a nifty trick for simulating film grain in an otherwise grainless digital image.
- The granular quality of the early calotypes lent itself to a continuation of the picturesque aesthetic, while the grainless, mirror quality of the daguerreotype offered an illusion of unmediated reality.

Origin

Middle English (originally in the sense 'seed, grain of corn'): from Old French grain, from Latin granum.

The first meaning of grain, which is from Latin granum ‘seed’, also found in granary (late 16th century), granule (mid 17th century), and granite (mid 17th century) with its grain-like markings was, a single seed of a plant. From this developed the idea not only of a seed-like particle such as a grain of sand, salt, or gold but also of an arrangement of fibres that resembles small seeds or grains side by side, such as the ‘grain’ of a piece of wood. If something goes against the grain it is contrary to your natural inclination. This, dating from the mid 17th century, comes from carpentry. While grange is used today for a country house it was originally a barn for grain and comes from medieval Latin granica (villa) ‘grain house’, based on granum. Garner (Middle English) was originally also a word for a granary, and comes via French from the same source.

Rhymes

abstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, cinquain, chain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, main, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne

Definition of grain in US English:

grain

nounɡreɪnɡrān

1Wheat or any other cultivated cereal crop used as food.
（作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类）
Example sentencesExamples
- With a few grains of rice and barley from the bottom of one of the ship's sacks, the sailor planted what would become large fields of grain.
- The crop farmers have wheat and grain and corn and potatoes and squash and beans and lettuce.
- He says that while the area will never produce the quantities of the huge grain-growing areas, there is massive potential for the region.
- In the north and the west, where the climate is too dry to grow rice, wheat is the staple grain.
- In rural areas, rats are a threat to seed and grain crops.
- He now had two patches of grain and maize while apricots, cherries, plums and quince hung heavily from boughs covered in thick, grey lichen.
- They keep down the rodent population in Egypt's economically important grain fields along the Nile.
- Pollination is the transfer of pollen - plant grains that contain male DNA - from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower.
- Potatoes had the advantage of producing three times as much food per acre as grain.
- The food grain was first domesticated over 10,000 years ago in the Middle East.
- The staple grain is wheat and Pakistan is a predominantly bread-eating country.
- Thus, even if a curious farmer were to plant some genetically modified grain received as food aid, its continued presence in the field is unlikely.
- Grain growers want the best price for their produce.
- Their enterprise consists of 500 breeding ewes and 40 suckler cows in association with 50 acres of sugar beet, the rest is in grain.
- Hernandez is most praising of corn, even hinting of the grain's possible superiority to wheat.
- They grow grain, sorghum, and wheat with rest periods in between.
- Meanwhile, the late break is increasing the pressure on grain growers wanting to plant canola.
- Greenbugs are a serious pest of grain and sorghum in the Southern Plains.
- Students learned the impact plant breeders had on the quality and quantity of grain as well as consumer products.
Synonyms
cereal, cereal crops
1. 1.1 The seeds of cultivated cereals.
  谷物
  as modifier grain exports
  Example sentencesExamples
  However, despite the increase in the monthly rate of inflation, there was a significant decline in the prices of food items especially maize meal and grain.
  But any untreated food like hay or grain cannot be imported and they're not going to be allowed for the Olympics.
  Government storehouses are overflowing with food grain.
  In fall and winter, Northern Pintails eat seeds and waste grain.
  Our team on the ground need grain and specialised food to bring immediate relief to people.
  Quail typically hunt for seeds, grain, grasses, plant leaves and buds, acorns, and insects.
  Food grain is brought from Gojam and used to feed the people.
  Durum wheat is an important cereal whose grain is used predominantly for food products such as pasta, couscous, and burghul.
  At times they eat arthropods, seeds, and grain, but they are more carnivorous than crows.
  He described the situation as alarming because, according to experts, the quality of the grain was deteriorating with every passing day.
  The best vodkas are made from grain, with wheat and rye top of the list.
  Continued wet weather can affect the quality of the grain, so it can only be used for the cheaper animal feed market.
  Harissa a traditional meal, consists of wheat grain and lamb cooked over low heat.
  The mutant lines also had higher seed weights and grain yields per plant than the parental line.
  You also can train them to return to the coop during the day by putting grain or their favorite food scraps in the coop.
  It was caused by a pathogen that invaded the wheat grain, and also affected durum wheats and triticale.
  We have power shortages and shortages of food grain, vegetables and grocery items.
  Pots are made in various sizes for drawing water, cooking, brewing beer, and storing grain and other foods.
  You need the disintegrating quality of the grain to give you a creamy but firm texture.
  The other issue of grave concern is the continual importation of maize grain.
2A single fruit or seed of a cereal.
谷粒
a few grains of corn
几粒玉米。
Example sentencesExamples
- The risotto turned out to be excellent and very well seasoned, with its fat grains of al dente rice and its large chunks of tasty mushrooms.
- Starlings eat a diverse, omnivorous diet of invertebrates, berries and other fruit, grains, and seeds.
- We have a reliable supply of grains and very good quality water supply so we have something to work with.
- Grain flakes or rolled grains are sliced and then flattened between rollers.
- Eight grains of rice were scattered across the table, polished and gleaming like tiny gems.
- Although the grains of rice were just this side of undercooked, the sauce was packed with a rich, pungent flavour.
- It's made with thick grains of sushi rice and served in a bowl with two warm croquettes filled with mango sauce.
- If we plant one seed of barley, when it matures we will have several grains of barley.
- I would roast and cook the grains in quantities large enough to serve several times in the coming days and put a small pile on my husband's plate for a taste.
- His diet consists mainly of grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables and non-stimulating drinks.
- You may need to add grains of rice or beans and shake to get scouring action with these products also.
- Those tastes were wonderfully different, especially the seeds and grains of the outback.
- I got into the raw foods theory when I was in my late twenties and would only eat raw vegetables and raw fruit, with a small amount of grains and nuts.
- Single grains of sweetcorn are excellent in natural and dyed and/or flavoured forms.
- Other materials favoured by Yin and fellow artists are human hair, beans, pearls, stones or grains of rice.
- The individual grains of wheat and rice are also fruits by this definition.
- Inside a caravan two anti-war protesters cooked their final few grains of rice before waving goodbye.
- It was more of a soup than a pudding, with soft grains of rice resting beneath a slightly cardamom-ized sweetened milk, topped with chopped pistachio nuts.
- I like to go one better and add grains of boiled rice as well.
- Where people are wealthier, there is the luxury of experimenting with a variety of breads which may include more types of grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds.
Synonyms
kernel, seed, grist, fruit
1. 2.1 A small hard particle of a substance such as salt or sand.
  小而硬的颗粒（如盐粒或沙粒）
  a grain of salt
  一粒盐。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The lengthy but exciting search for dust grains will be conducted by Internet volunteers.
  I've learned all about negative calories and calorie-free soup today (hot water with a grain of salt in it).
  This early embryo is a ball of cells smaller than a grain of sand.
  The Leonids are grains of dust from comet Tempel-Tuttle colliding into Earth's atmosphere.
  This wider mix of particle sizes is important because how much sediment a river carries also depends on the relative mix of coarse and fine grains.
  During the event, particles smaller than a grain of sand burn up as they stream through the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of 150,000 miles an hour.
  Pollen grain number was calculated for 20 flowers (five each from four trees) of each type.
  Well, some of us may give objects personalities but we've never come even remotely close to assigning a personality to something like a grain of sand.
  Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand.
  You don't regard a grain of sand when building a pyramid; you interact with a mass of sand.
  We banged the mortar and pestle like oriental drummers in the echoing stainless steel kitchen, but our ground cumin and coriander looked more like gravel than grains of the finest spices.
  The highest ever count - 1,100 grains of pollen per cubic metre - was recorded in Cardiff in 1992.
  Pollen grain viability at the time of anther dehiscence and later stages was estimated using the fluorescein diacetate test.
  This planet is a grain of sand in a universe that is so much greater than we can dream.
  That was 360 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air.
  The last word he shouts after her when she leaves the house settles in his mind the way a grain of sand comes to a halt in the dense flesh of oysters.
  Forecasters said the pollen count across Greater Manchester would be high today, between 50 and 149 grains of grass pollen per cubic metre of air.
  A large percentage of the sand grains are composed of fragments from the green alga Halimeda.
  It contains particles smaller than a grain of sand, each one containing a unique nine-digit identification code.
  The perfect mix for sandcastles is one part water for every eight parts of sand but another factor is the density of the sand, with finer grains producing a better mix.
  Synonyms
  granule, particle, speck, spot, mote, mite, dot
2. 2.2 The smallest possible quantity or amount of a quality.
  最小的数量；最少的质量
  there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said
  他说的话没有一丁点是真的。
  Example sentencesExamples
  But some religious practices have grains of truth in them.
  Illusions need not be all false; they may contain grains of truth.
  Yesterday's review by two animal behaviour experts at Cambridge University suggests that there might be more than a grain of truth in such stories.
  Old notions die hard, especially when they contain a solid grain of truth.
  I was beginning to think how beautiful every grain of freedom was.
  Anybody who knows him will find more than a grain of truth in the story, for he is one of the most taciturn men in football.
  I don't know anyone with a grain of football knowledge who thinks that England will saunter to a four-goal victory.
  But, I should confess, there was still a tiny voice in the back of my mind wondering if there might still be a grain of truth in the story about a suggested link between autism and MMR.
  The grains of truth in their claim explode in their minds into hatred and obliterate all reason.
  He pondered the possibility of a grain of truth in each, and lost himself in thought.
  The barbs aimed from the English duo of Austin Healey and Matt Dawson in 2001 hurt, but Henry has been big enough to accept the grains of truth and move on.
  Hints, like Halloween, often hold more than a grain of truth.
  The bepimpled teenager channelling his angst through a controller in the darkness of his parent's basement is a cliché with more than a few grains of truth.
  In most of these criticisms there is a grain of truth, but collectively they suggest a determination not to be pleased.
  Synonyms
  trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, tinge, shadow
3. 2.3 A discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc., typically visible only when a surface is magnified.
  （尤指只有表面被放大才能看得见的）（金属、火成岩等的）微粒；晶粒
  Example sentencesExamples
  On the basis of their morphology, they are interpreted to be late-stage igneous grains.
  Quartz grains are angular, suggestive of eolian origin.
  The grain size of an igneous rock depends upon the rate of cooling.
  Some are made up of dense, black, homogeneous basalt, with no visible mineral grains.
  The diamonds he watches so closely are not the rocks on the rings of the rich and famous, they are tiny grains of pure carbon coating the blades, polishers and shapers the company produces.
4. 2.4 A piece of solid propellant for use in a rocket engine.
  （用于火箭发动机的）固体推进剂
  Example sentencesExamples
  Minor variations in the weight of the projectile, form of the rotating band, and moisture content and temperature of the propellant grains.
3The smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1/5760 of a pound troy and 1/7000 of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 0.0648 grams).
格令（金衡制和常衡制中最小的重量单位，等于金衡镑的1/5760和常衡磅的1/7000即约等于0. 0648 克）
Example sentencesExamples
- How anyone dreamed up a system where 20 fluid ounces makes one pint, 437.5 grains makes one ounce and 1,760 yards makes one mile is beyond us.
- The prize nuggets ranged from about 12 grains to about 3 pennyweights.
- The power factor is simply bullet weight in grains multiplied by velocity in feet per second, divided by 1,000.
- It's not so surprising that people chose the grain (weighing four point eight centigrams) as the unit of measure.
- Multiply the hardness of the water in grains per gallon by 8 (or 7.866 to be more precise).
- The ounce was approximately 450 grains, i.e. slightly heavier than the modern one.
- It is available in two forms at sporting goods stores - one calibrated in grains and the other in grams.
- Consider four 7mm cartridges, all firing 139-to 140 - grain bullets.
- In the metric system, there are 454 grams to a pound but there are 7,000 grains.
- It's a boat-tailed bullet (that is, the rear of the bullet is tapered) and weighs 173 grains.
- They had to drop bullet weight about 20 grains but did they have to reduce velocity from .45 Colt loads?
- Bullet weights from 185 to 230 grains were fired at combat distances with elevation being right on for all practical purposes.
- It was a spinoff of a laboratory scale that was simply told to read grains instead of grams.
- The weight is a few grains more which may stiffen the shaft a little.
- Incidentally, some may wonder why we have oddball bullet weights such as 139 and 154 grains.
- Pour your powder into the hopper, enter in your desired charge weight in grains, and press a button.
- Bullet weights increasing from 110 to 180 grains in normal increments seemed like a sensible idea.
- Prior to 1933, the name ‘dollar’ was used to refer to a unit of gold that had a weight of 23.22 grains.
4The longitudinal arrangement or pattern of fibers in wood, paper, etc.
（木头、纸张等的）纹路；纹理
he scored along the grain of the table with the knife
他用刀在桌上顺着木头的纹路刻着。
Example sentencesExamples
- Mark Bishop's Black Heart Myrtle platter has a simple shape that shows the rich colour and unusual grain of this timber.
- The end grain of a very hard wood is used and the cuts into the wood are made along the grain.
- Cut a narrow strip of fusible tricot interfacing along the lengthwise grain and apply it to the wrong side of the zipper seam.
- I haven't found anyone who claims 100 percent accuracy in identifying special grain patterns just by looking at bark.
- Heavy cutting of solid wood along the grain is best done with a dedicated ripping blade.
- The fabric may need to be refolded along the crosswise grain to accommodate the pattern pieces.
- Wood may vary greatly in hardness, grain pattern, and grain direction.
- For the best fit around the torso, position the body pattern pieces with their length along the crosswise grain.
- He lay on his side, staring at the pattern of the wood grain on the bedpost, wishing he could just drop off.
- The wood grain should run longitudinally to minimize warping and cracking.
- His fingers started absently tracing patterns in the wood grain on the bar.
- Translucent wood stains complement the natural beauty of wood by allowing the pattern of the grain to show.
- Because polyurethanes are a surface finish, care should be taken to work along the grain.
- The direction of the grain, as well as the amount of figuring in the wood, can affect the way it is sanded and sawed.
- As soon as she was gone, I sighed loudly and stared at the table, mentally tracing the patterns of the wood grain.
- If you do woodwork at school, you learn to exploit the properties of wood, such as it splits along the grain.
- For garment sewing, where pattern pieces are usually cut on the lengthwise grain, try one or more of the following.
- It is hard and durable, has good grain patterns, and mills and finishes nicely.
- Cut the beef into very thin slices across the grain into bite-size pieces (or ask your butcher to do this).
- Cut the beef across the grain into paper thin slices.
Synonyms
texture, intertexture, surface, finish, feel
1. 4.1 Roughness in texture of wood, stone, etc.; the arrangement and size of constituent particles.
  （木头、石头等）纹理的粗糙程度；组成粒子的排列和大小
  the lighter, finer grain of the wood is attractive
  木头上细密、颜色浅的纹路很好看。
  Example sentencesExamples
  We pushed open the 600 year-old great oak door, hard as bell metal with the patina of pilgrimage etched deep into its rough grain and stepped in.
  Like teak, it is prized for its strength, weight and working quality - the fine grain, for example, allows the wood to be polished to a high shine.
  When did you last trace the grain in a piece of wood, sing a song, or just hold someone's hand?
  When cutting rocks is that most sedimentary rock will cut easier when you follow the grain in the rock.
  His enormous woodcuts depend upon many smaller woodcuts and upon the fine grain of the wood itself.
  But perhaps the art of joinery is subtle enough to conceal the ill-will of the maker in the fine grain of the wood, or to obscure it with careful polishing.
  The complete absence of grain and texture makes carving difficult and unrewarding.
  He let his weight carry him to the floor with his back leaning against the desk, the feel of the wood grain against his back called up memories that made him feel even weaker.
  Later, other tectonic events created a series of fractures that cut across the grain of the gneiss.
  Texture: do you want the frame and molding to appear smooth and slick or do you want to feel the wood's grain?
  I touched the wood of the central cabin, feeling solidity and wood grain warmed by the morning sun under my fingertips.
2. 4.2 The rough or textured outer surface of leather, or of a similar artificial material.
  （皮革或其他类似人工材料的）粗糙面；皱面
  Example sentencesExamples
  Again, it works because there is nothing token or apologetic about it, and you end up not minding the hard plastic surfaces because they are honest enough not to ape leather grain.
  Eagle's new ‘Ultra Ivory’ is a synthetic material with the grain and texture of real ivory.
  The Hissatsu's grip is black polymer with a molded-in deep pebble grain surface.
3. 4.3Mining Lamination or planes of cleavage in materials such as stone and coal.
  〔矿〕（石头和煤等原料的）解理面；劈理面
4. 4.4Photography A granular appearance of a photograph or negative, which is in proportion to the size of the emulsion particles composing it.
  〔摄〕颗粒（出现在照片或底片上，与组成其的乳胶粒的大小成比例）
  Example sentencesExamples
  There is a small amount of grain, though it's never overly intrusive while watching the film.
  Edge enhancement was kept at a minimum, and only a small amount of grain was spotted.
  The only flaw I spotted was a small amount of grain in a few key scenes.
  The grain and camcorder quality degrade the already poor material to the point of being unwatchable.
  That said, at times the picture does have a fair amount of grain which is the biggest flaw in the image quality.
5archaic A person's character or natural tendency.
〈古〉（人的）性格；天性
Example sentencesExamples
- The complexity of modern Britain which put at the heart of New Labour is just not reflected in the fine grain of this new movement.
- And it doesn't go with the grain of human nature.
- Welfare had to work with the grain of human nature.
- ‘You have to reflect the history of the area and you have to give something back which reflects the urban grain,’ he said.
- The last argument O'Neill deals with is that the market runs with the grain of human nature which is self interest.
Synonyms
personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, mentality, turn of mind, psychology, psyche, constitution, make-up, make, stamp, mould, cast
6historical Kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these.
〈史〉胭脂虫；胭脂虫红

verbɡreɪnɡrān

[with object]

1Give a rough surface or texture to.
使表面（或纹理）粗糙
her fingers were grained with chalk dust
她的手指因为粉笔灰变得粗糙起来。
Example sentencesExamples
- Her body was becoming grained with sweat.
1. 1.1no object Form into grains.
  成粒状
  if the sugar does grain up, add more water
  糖如果结成粒状，就再加点水。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The acid had the desirable effect of keeping the sugar mixture clear and hard when it cooled, instead of graining, i.e. recrystallizing to granulated sugar.
2usually as noun grainingPaint (especially furniture or interior surfaces) in imitation of the grain of wood or marble.
（尤指将家具或内表面）漆成木纹（或大理石纹）
the art of graining and marbling
漆木纹和漆大理石纹的艺术。
Example sentencesExamples
- If you're familiar with wood graining this technique will be easy for you to master.
- In the room from North East, he settled on a faded coat of greenish-blue paint visible over earlier layers of white and trompe l'oeil graining.
- Among these are smoke graining (executed with a candle), dry graining (achieved by squeezing most of the paint off the brush), stenciling, and freehand painting.
- Nathaniel Clements, another decorative artist from Dublin, likes to work with finishes such as marbling and graining that date back to the 18th century.
- I think I could paint and grain a door even today, because I can recollect how he used to do it.
3Remove hair from (a hide)
将（生皮）去毛
the boots were of best grained leather
这些靴子是用去毛去得最好的皮制成的。
4North American Feed (a horse) on grain.
〈北美〉用谷物喂（马）
Example sentencesExamples
- He dismounted, led the horse to the barn and grained him.
- I still have a field of good timothy and alfalfa I let them up the hill cut on shares, and I grain her just as much as I need.
- The boy who took the mare in and grained it knew one thing about the owner instantly.
- Grain the horse no sooner than two hours after the ride.

Phrases

against the grain

Contrary to the natural inclination or feeling of someone or something.
格格不入，违反意愿
it goes against the grain to tell outright lies
Example sentencesExamples
- For an estate agent, having to talk a house down instead of up goes against the grain, admits Craig Grantham.
- Much as it goes against the grain to praise the legal profession in any way, I was reminded earlier this week of one of the benefits of the profession.
- But helping the poor directly would go against the grain of the ruling party's old guard.
- When did you last hear a politician genuinely appeal to our higher nature, go against the grain because what they believed in was simply the right thing to do?
- We like to find unique clothes that bring out the best in our personalities and go against the grain.
- Time after time, he's undertaken initiatives which have gone against the grain of public opinion.
- That crazy non-conformist is totally going against the grain by wearing an outfit designed by Wayne Cooper.
- Not taking as final the manager's opinion on player purchases goes against the grain in the British game.
- Most young people are afraid of not being accepted if they go against the grain.
- I've decided to go against the grain and not have any mixed drinks tonight.

in grain
成粒状

Thorough, genuine, by nature, or downright; indelible.
Example sentencesExamples
- Dumourier was known to be a scoundrel in grain.

Origin

Middle English (originally in the sense ‘seed, grain of corn’): from Old French grain, from Latin granum.

单词	grain
释义	Definition of grain in English: grain noun ɡreɪnɡreɪn 1mass noun Wheat or any other cultivated cereal used as food. （作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类） Example sentencesExamples Hernandez is most praising of corn, even hinting of the grain's possible superiority to wheat. They keep down the rodent population in Egypt's economically important grain fields along the Nile. Meanwhile, the late break is increasing the pressure on grain growers wanting to plant canola. Thus, even if a curious farmer were to plant some genetically modified grain received as food aid, its continued presence in the field is unlikely. With a few grains of rice and barley from the bottom of one of the ship's sacks, the sailor planted what would become large fields of grain. The food grain was first domesticated over 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. Students learned the impact plant breeders had on the quality and quantity of grain as well as consumer products. In rural areas, rats are a threat to seed and grain crops. Their enterprise consists of 500 breeding ewes and 40 suckler cows in association with 50 acres of sugar beet, the rest is in grain. He now had two patches of grain and maize while apricots, cherries, plums and quince hung heavily from boughs covered in thick, grey lichen. He says that while the area will never produce the quantities of the huge grain-growing areas, there is massive potential for the region. Greenbugs are a serious pest of grain and sorghum in the Southern Plains. Grain growers want the best price for their produce. The crop farmers have wheat and grain and corn and potatoes and squash and beans and lettuce. The staple grain is wheat and Pakistan is a predominantly bread-eating country. In the north and the west, where the climate is too dry to grow rice, wheat is the staple grain. Potatoes had the advantage of producing three times as much food per acre as grain. Pollination is the transfer of pollen - plant grains that contain male DNA - from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower. They grow grain, sorghum, and wheat with rest periods in between. Synonyms cereal, cereal crops 1.1 The seeds of wheat or other cultivated cereals. （作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类） Example sentencesExamples You also can train them to return to the coop during the day by putting grain or their favorite food scraps in the coop. Pots are made in various sizes for drawing water, cooking, brewing beer, and storing grain and other foods. Quail typically hunt for seeds, grain, grasses, plant leaves and buds, acorns, and insects. Government storehouses are overflowing with food grain. Food grain is brought from Gojam and used to feed the people. Continued wet weather can affect the quality of the grain, so it can only be used for the cheaper animal feed market. The other issue of grave concern is the continual importation of maize grain. Our team on the ground need grain and specialised food to bring immediate relief to people. He described the situation as alarming because, according to experts, the quality of the grain was deteriorating with every passing day. The mutant lines also had higher seed weights and grain yields per plant than the parental line. The best vodkas are made from grain, with wheat and rye top of the list. However, despite the increase in the monthly rate of inflation, there was a significant decline in the prices of food items especially maize meal and grain. Durum wheat is an important cereal whose grain is used predominantly for food products such as pasta, couscous, and burghul. In fall and winter, Northern Pintails eat seeds and waste grain. We have power shortages and shortages of food grain, vegetables and grocery items. It was caused by a pathogen that invaded the wheat grain, and also affected durum wheats and triticale. You need the disintegrating quality of the grain to give you a creamy but firm texture. At times they eat arthropods, seeds, and grain, but they are more carnivorous than crows. Harissa a traditional meal, consists of wheat grain and lamb cooked over low heat. But any untreated food like hay or grain cannot be imported and they're not going to be allowed for the Olympics. 2A single fruit or seed of a cereal. 谷粒 a few grains of corn 几粒玉米。 Example sentencesExamples The individual grains of wheat and rice are also fruits by this definition. The risotto turned out to be excellent and very well seasoned, with its fat grains of al dente rice and its large chunks of tasty mushrooms. It was more of a soup than a pudding, with soft grains of rice resting beneath a slightly cardamom-ized sweetened milk, topped with chopped pistachio nuts. We have a reliable supply of grains and very good quality water supply so we have something to work with. Grain flakes or rolled grains are sliced and then flattened between rollers. Inside a caravan two anti-war protesters cooked their final few grains of rice before waving goodbye. If we plant one seed of barley, when it matures we will have several grains of barley. You may need to add grains of rice or beans and shake to get scouring action with these products also. Where people are wealthier, there is the luxury of experimenting with a variety of breads which may include more types of grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds. His diet consists mainly of grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables and non-stimulating drinks. I got into the raw foods theory when I was in my late twenties and would only eat raw vegetables and raw fruit, with a small amount of grains and nuts. I like to go one better and add grains of boiled rice as well. I would roast and cook the grains in quantities large enough to serve several times in the coming days and put a small pile on my husband's plate for a taste. Starlings eat a diverse, omnivorous diet of invertebrates, berries and other fruit, grains, and seeds. Eight grains of rice were scattered across the table, polished and gleaming like tiny gems. Although the grains of rice were just this side of undercooked, the sauce was packed with a rich, pungent flavour. Other materials favoured by Yin and fellow artists are human hair, beans, pearls, stones or grains of rice. It's made with thick grains of sushi rice and served in a bowl with two warm croquettes filled with mango sauce. Those tastes were wonderfully different, especially the seeds and grains of the outback. Single grains of sweetcorn are excellent in natural and dyed and/or flavoured forms. Synonyms kernel, seed, grist, fruit 2.1 A small hard particle of a substance such as salt or sand. 小而硬的颗粒（如盐粒或沙粒） a grain of salt 一粒盐。 Example sentencesExamples The highest ever count - 1,100 grains of pollen per cubic metre - was recorded in Cardiff in 1992. That was 360 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air. We banged the mortar and pestle like oriental drummers in the echoing stainless steel kitchen, but our ground cumin and coriander looked more like gravel than grains of the finest spices. The lengthy but exciting search for dust grains will be conducted by Internet volunteers. The last word he shouts after her when she leaves the house settles in his mind the way a grain of sand comes to a halt in the dense flesh of oysters. This early embryo is a ball of cells smaller than a grain of sand. Well, some of us may give objects personalities but we've never come even remotely close to assigning a personality to something like a grain of sand. Pollen grain number was calculated for 20 flowers (five each from four trees) of each type. Forecasters said the pollen count across Greater Manchester would be high today, between 50 and 149 grains of grass pollen per cubic metre of air. During the event, particles smaller than a grain of sand burn up as they stream through the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of 150,000 miles an hour. Pollen grain viability at the time of anther dehiscence and later stages was estimated using the fluorescein diacetate test. This planet is a grain of sand in a universe that is so much greater than we can dream. It contains particles smaller than a grain of sand, each one containing a unique nine-digit identification code. This wider mix of particle sizes is important because how much sediment a river carries also depends on the relative mix of coarse and fine grains. A large percentage of the sand grains are composed of fragments from the green alga Halimeda. The perfect mix for sandcastles is one part water for every eight parts of sand but another factor is the density of the sand, with finer grains producing a better mix. The Leonids are grains of dust from comet Tempel-Tuttle colliding into Earth's atmosphere. Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand. You don't regard a grain of sand when building a pyramid; you interact with a mass of sand. I've learned all about negative calories and calorie-free soup today (hot water with a grain of salt in it). Synonyms granule, particle, speck, spot, mote, mite, dot bit, piece scrap, crumb, fragment, flake, morsel, iota, molecule, atom 2.2 The smallest possible quantity or amount of a quality. 最小的数量；最少的质量 there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said 他说的话没有一丁点是真的。 Example sentencesExamples Yesterday's review by two animal behaviour experts at Cambridge University suggests that there might be more than a grain of truth in such stories. Hints, like Halloween, often hold more than a grain of truth. In most of these criticisms there is a grain of truth, but collectively they suggest a determination not to be pleased. Anybody who knows him will find more than a grain of truth in the story, for he is one of the most taciturn men in football. Illusions need not be all false; they may contain grains of truth. The bepimpled teenager channelling his angst through a controller in the darkness of his parent's basement is a cliché with more than a few grains of truth. Old notions die hard, especially when they contain a solid grain of truth. I was beginning to think how beautiful every grain of freedom was. I don't know anyone with a grain of football knowledge who thinks that England will saunter to a four-goal victory. But, I should confess, there was still a tiny voice in the back of my mind wondering if there might still be a grain of truth in the story about a suggested link between autism and MMR. He pondered the possibility of a grain of truth in each, and lost himself in thought. But some religious practices have grains of truth in them. The grains of truth in their claim explode in their minds into hatred and obliterate all reason. The barbs aimed from the English duo of Austin Healey and Matt Dawson in 2001 hurt, but Henry has been big enough to accept the grains of truth and move on. Synonyms trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, tinge, shadow small amount, bit, little bit, soupçon spark, scintilla, ounce, modicum, iota, jot, whit, scrap, shred, spot, drop, pinch Irish stim informal smidgen, smidge, tad archaic scantling, scruple 2.3 A discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc., typically visible only when a surface is magnified. （尤指只有表面被放大才能看得见的）（金属、火成岩等的）微粒；晶粒 Example sentencesExamples Quartz grains are angular, suggestive of eolian origin. The grain size of an igneous rock depends upon the rate of cooling. The diamonds he watches so closely are not the rocks on the rings of the rich and famous, they are tiny grains of pure carbon coating the blades, polishers and shapers the company produces. On the basis of their morphology, they are interpreted to be late-stage igneous grains. Some are made up of dense, black, homogeneous basalt, with no visible mineral grains. 2.4 A piece of solid propellant for use in a rocket engine. （用于火箭发动机的）固体推进剂 Example sentencesExamples Minor variations in the weight of the projectile, form of the rotating band, and moisture content and temperature of the propellant grains. 3The smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1/5760 of a pound troy and 1/7000 of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 0.0648 gram). 格令（金衡制和常衡制中最小的重量单位，等于金衡镑的1/5760和常衡磅的1/7000即约等于0. 0648 克） Example sentencesExamples Pour your powder into the hopper, enter in your desired charge weight in grains, and press a button. It is available in two forms at sporting goods stores - one calibrated in grains and the other in grams. Bullet weights increasing from 110 to 180 grains in normal increments seemed like a sensible idea. Consider four 7mm cartridges, all firing 139-to 140 - grain bullets. They had to drop bullet weight about 20 grains but did they have to reduce velocity from .45 Colt loads? The ounce was approximately 450 grains, i.e. slightly heavier than the modern one. In the metric system, there are 454 grams to a pound but there are 7,000 grains. The weight is a few grains more which may stiffen the shaft a little. Prior to 1933, the name ‘dollar’ was used to refer to a unit of gold that had a weight of 23.22 grains. The power factor is simply bullet weight in grains multiplied by velocity in feet per second, divided by 1,000. Bullet weights from 185 to 230 grains were fired at combat distances with elevation being right on for all practical purposes. Incidentally, some may wonder why we have oddball bullet weights such as 139 and 154 grains. The prize nuggets ranged from about 12 grains to about 3 pennyweights. It's a boat-tailed bullet (that is, the rear of the bullet is tapered) and weighs 173 grains. It was a spinoff of a laboratory scale that was simply told to read grains instead of grams. It's not so surprising that people chose the grain (weighing four point eight centigrams) as the unit of measure. Multiply the hardness of the water in grains per gallon by 8 (or 7.866 to be more precise). How anyone dreamed up a system where 20 fluid ounces makes one pint, 437.5 grains makes one ounce and 1,760 yards makes one mile is beyond us. 4mass noun The longitudinal arrangement or pattern of fibres in wood, paper, etc. （木头、纸张等的）纹路；纹理 he scored along the grain of the table with the knife 他用刀在桌上顺着木头的纹路刻着。 Example sentencesExamples Cut a narrow strip of fusible tricot interfacing along the lengthwise grain and apply it to the wrong side of the zipper seam. If you do woodwork at school, you learn to exploit the properties of wood, such as it splits along the grain. It is hard and durable, has good grain patterns, and mills and finishes nicely. The end grain of a very hard wood is used and the cuts into the wood are made along the grain. For garment sewing, where pattern pieces are usually cut on the lengthwise grain, try one or more of the following. For the best fit around the torso, position the body pattern pieces with their length along the crosswise grain. The direction of the grain, as well as the amount of figuring in the wood, can affect the way it is sanded and sawed. Cut the beef across the grain into paper thin slices. Wood may vary greatly in hardness, grain pattern, and grain direction. His fingers started absently tracing patterns in the wood grain on the bar. As soon as she was gone, I sighed loudly and stared at the table, mentally tracing the patterns of the wood grain. Heavy cutting of solid wood along the grain is best done with a dedicated ripping blade. Because polyurethanes are a surface finish, care should be taken to work along the grain. I haven't found anyone who claims 100 percent accuracy in identifying special grain patterns just by looking at bark. Translucent wood stains complement the natural beauty of wood by allowing the pattern of the grain to show. He lay on his side, staring at the pattern of the wood grain on the bedpost, wishing he could just drop off. Mark Bishop's Black Heart Myrtle platter has a simple shape that shows the rich colour and unusual grain of this timber. Cut the beef into very thin slices across the grain into bite-size pieces (or ask your butcher to do this). The fabric may need to be refolded along the crosswise grain to accommodate the pattern pieces. The wood grain should run longitudinally to minimize warping and cracking. Synonyms texture, intertexture, surface, finish, feel weave, nap, fibre, fabric, pattern 4.1 The texture of wood, stone, etc., as determined by the arrangement and size of constituent particles. （木头、石头等）纹理的粗糙程度；组成粒子的排列和大小 the lighter, finer grain of the wood is attractive 木头上细密、颜色浅的纹路很好看。 Example sentencesExamples Like teak, it is prized for its strength, weight and working quality - the fine grain, for example, allows the wood to be polished to a high shine. The complete absence of grain and texture makes carving difficult and unrewarding. But perhaps the art of joinery is subtle enough to conceal the ill-will of the maker in the fine grain of the wood, or to obscure it with careful polishing. When cutting rocks is that most sedimentary rock will cut easier when you follow the grain in the rock. Texture: do you want the frame and molding to appear smooth and slick or do you want to feel the wood's grain? His enormous woodcuts depend upon many smaller woodcuts and upon the fine grain of the wood itself. I touched the wood of the central cabin, feeling solidity and wood grain warmed by the morning sun under my fingertips. Later, other tectonic events created a series of fractures that cut across the grain of the gneiss. We pushed open the 600 year-old great oak door, hard as bell metal with the patina of pilgrimage etched deep into its rough grain and stepped in. He let his weight carry him to the floor with his back leaning against the desk, the feel of the wood grain against his back called up memories that made him feel even weaker. When did you last trace the grain in a piece of wood, sing a song, or just hold someone's hand? 4.2 The rough or wrinkled outer surface of leather, or of a similar artificial material. （皮革或其他类似人工材料的）粗糙面；皱面 Example sentencesExamples Eagle's new ‘Ultra Ivory’ is a synthetic material with the grain and texture of real ivory. The Hissatsu's grip is black polymer with a molded-in deep pebble grain surface. Again, it works because there is nothing token or apologetic about it, and you end up not minding the hard plastic surfaces because they are honest enough not to ape leather grain. 4.3Mining Lamination or planes of cleavage in materials such as stone and coal. 〔矿〕（石头和煤等原料的）解理面；劈理面 4.4Photography A grainy appearance of a photograph or negative, which is in proportion to the size of the emulsion particles composing it. 〔摄〕颗粒（出现在照片或底片上，与组成其的乳胶粒的大小成比例） Example sentencesExamples The only flaw I spotted was a small amount of grain in a few key scenes. That said, at times the picture does have a fair amount of grain which is the biggest flaw in the image quality. Edge enhancement was kept at a minimum, and only a small amount of grain was spotted. There is a small amount of grain, though it's never overly intrusive while watching the film. The grain and camcorder quality degrade the already poor material to the point of being unwatchable. 5archaic A person's character or natural tendency. 〈古〉（人的）性格；天性 Example sentencesExamples And it doesn't go with the grain of human nature. The complexity of modern Britain which put at the heart of New Labour is just not reflected in the fine grain of this new movement. The last argument O'Neill deals with is that the market runs with the grain of human nature which is self interest. ‘You have to reflect the history of the area and you have to give something back which reflects the urban grain,’ he said. Welfare had to work with the grain of human nature. Synonyms personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, mentality, turn of mind, psychology, psyche, constitution, make-up, make, stamp, mould, cast 6historical mass noun Kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these. 〈史〉胭脂虫；胭脂虫红 verb ɡreɪnɡreɪn [with object] 1Give a rough surface or texture to. 使表面（或纹理）粗糙 her fingers were grained with chalk dust 她的手指因为粉笔灰变得粗糙起来。 Example sentencesExamples Her body was becoming grained with sweat. 1.1no object Form into grains. 成粒状 if the sugar does grain up, add more water 糖如果结成粒状，就再加点水。 Example sentencesExamples The acid had the desirable effect of keeping the sugar mixture clear and hard when it cooled, instead of graining, i.e. recrystallizing to granulated sugar. 2usually as noun grainingPaint (especially furniture or interior surfaces) in imitation of the grain of wood or marble. （尤指将家具或内表面）漆成木纹（或大理石纹） Example sentencesExamples Nathaniel Clements, another decorative artist from Dublin, likes to work with finishes such as marbling and graining that date back to the 18th century. In the room from North East, he settled on a faded coat of greenish-blue paint visible over earlier layers of white and trompe l'oeil graining. Among these are smoke graining (executed with a candle), dry graining (achieved by squeezing most of the paint off the brush), stenciling, and freehand painting. If you're familiar with wood graining this technique will be easy for you to master. I think I could paint and grain a door even today, because I can recollect how he used to do it. 3Remove hair from (a hide). 将（生皮）去毛 4North American Feed (a horse) on grain. 〈北美〉用谷物喂（马） Example sentencesExamples I still have a field of good timothy and alfalfa I let them up the hill cut on shares, and I grain her just as much as I need. He dismounted, led the horse to the barn and grained him. Grain the horse no sooner than two hours after the ride. The boy who took the mare in and grained it knew one thing about the owner instantly. Phrases against the grain Contrary to the natural inclination or feeling of someone or something. 格格不入，违反意愿 it goes against the grain to tell outright lies Example sentencesExamples Not taking as final the manager's opinion on player purchases goes against the grain in the British game. But helping the poor directly would go against the grain of the ruling party's old guard. I've decided to go against the grain and not have any mixed drinks tonight. That crazy non-conformist is totally going against the grain by wearing an outfit designed by Wayne Cooper. We like to find unique clothes that bring out the best in our personalities and go against the grain. Most young people are afraid of not being accepted if they go against the grain. When did you last hear a politician genuinely appeal to our higher nature, go against the grain because what they believed in was simply the right thing to do? For an estate agent, having to talk a house down instead of up goes against the grain, admits Craig Grantham. Time after time, he's undertaken initiatives which have gone against the grain of public opinion. Much as it goes against the grain to praise the legal profession in any way, I was reminded earlier this week of one of the benefits of the profession. Derivatives grained adjective ɡreɪndɡreɪnd usually in combination coarse-grained sandstone Example sentencesExamples It's an unusual formation of a very small grained hail that has the appearance and feel of snow. Techniques of steaming and bending wood allowed this grained organic material to assume the same linear, undecorated form as the chrome-plated steel and leather chairs of Bauhaus fame. So, it's off to pick up a sketch book, a few loose and large sheets of beautifully grained paper, and an array of acrylics and pencils this weekend. Only the slowly grown, stronger grained wood is allowed in the soundboard. When purchasing red meat the flesh should be firm, cherry red in colour and finely grained. grainer noun It is part of a joint exhibition with the Painting Craft Teachers' Association and the wonderful pieces will be displayed alongside work by some of the country's best contemporary grainers and marblers. Example sentencesExamples Those big 440 - grainers are a handful and I wasn't going to practice with them all afternoon. The latter may have been used as a hide grainer, but shovel damage prevents clear functional identification. ‘My father was a painter and decorator and wood grainer,’ she said. When the same type of shot as the first presented itself, the .309 and 165 grainer did their job again. grainless adjective The technique is essentially a development of the woodcut, the earliest of printmaking methods, but linocuts are much simpler to make because the material is soft and grainless and therefore easier to work. Example sentencesExamples Even with the grainy 35 mm Kodak High Speed Infrared film the light values are creamy and grainless with an almost ethereal beauty. This highly sophisticated camera - one of only six in the world - produces a lush, full-color, high resolution, vividly detailed, virtually grainless surface, large format, contact photograph in just 70 seconds! In this article, I describe a nifty trick for simulating film grain in an otherwise grainless digital image. The granular quality of the early calotypes lent itself to a continuation of the picturesque aesthetic, while the grainless, mirror quality of the daguerreotype offered an illusion of unmediated reality. Origin Middle English (originally in the sense 'seed, grain of corn'): from Old French grain, from Latin granum. The first meaning of grain, which is from Latin granum ‘seed’, also found in granary (late 16th century), granule (mid 17th century), and granite (mid 17th century) with its grain-like markings was, a single seed of a plant. From this developed the idea not only of a seed-like particle such as a grain of sand, salt, or gold but also of an arrangement of fibres that resembles small seeds or grains side by side, such as the ‘grain’ of a piece of wood. If something goes against the grain it is contrary to your natural inclination. This, dating from the mid 17th century, comes from carpentry. While grange is used today for a country house it was originally a barn for grain and comes from medieval Latin granica (villa) ‘grain house’, based on granum. Garner (Middle English) was originally also a word for a granary, and comes via French from the same source. Rhymes abstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, cinquain, chain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, main, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne noun.1 phr. Definition of grain in US English: grain nounɡreɪnɡrān 1Wheat or any other cultivated cereal crop used as food. （作为食物的）小麦（或其他谷类） Example sentencesExamples With a few grains of rice and barley from the bottom of one of the ship's sacks, the sailor planted what would become large fields of grain. The crop farmers have wheat and grain and corn and potatoes and squash and beans and lettuce. He says that while the area will never produce the quantities of the huge grain-growing areas, there is massive potential for the region. In the north and the west, where the climate is too dry to grow rice, wheat is the staple grain. In rural areas, rats are a threat to seed and grain crops. He now had two patches of grain and maize while apricots, cherries, plums and quince hung heavily from boughs covered in thick, grey lichen. They keep down the rodent population in Egypt's economically important grain fields along the Nile. Pollination is the transfer of pollen - plant grains that contain male DNA - from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower. Potatoes had the advantage of producing three times as much food per acre as grain. The food grain was first domesticated over 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. The staple grain is wheat and Pakistan is a predominantly bread-eating country. Thus, even if a curious farmer were to plant some genetically modified grain received as food aid, its continued presence in the field is unlikely. Grain growers want the best price for their produce. Their enterprise consists of 500 breeding ewes and 40 suckler cows in association with 50 acres of sugar beet, the rest is in grain. Hernandez is most praising of corn, even hinting of the grain's possible superiority to wheat. They grow grain, sorghum, and wheat with rest periods in between. Meanwhile, the late break is increasing the pressure on grain growers wanting to plant canola. Greenbugs are a serious pest of grain and sorghum in the Southern Plains. Students learned the impact plant breeders had on the quality and quantity of grain as well as consumer products. Synonyms cereal, cereal crops 1.1 The seeds of cultivated cereals. 谷物 as modifier grain exports Example sentencesExamples However, despite the increase in the monthly rate of inflation, there was a significant decline in the prices of food items especially maize meal and grain. But any untreated food like hay or grain cannot be imported and they're not going to be allowed for the Olympics. Government storehouses are overflowing with food grain. In fall and winter, Northern Pintails eat seeds and waste grain. Our team on the ground need grain and specialised food to bring immediate relief to people. Quail typically hunt for seeds, grain, grasses, plant leaves and buds, acorns, and insects. Food grain is brought from Gojam and used to feed the people. Durum wheat is an important cereal whose grain is used predominantly for food products such as pasta, couscous, and burghul. At times they eat arthropods, seeds, and grain, but they are more carnivorous than crows. He described the situation as alarming because, according to experts, the quality of the grain was deteriorating with every passing day. The best vodkas are made from grain, with wheat and rye top of the list. Continued wet weather can affect the quality of the grain, so it can only be used for the cheaper animal feed market. Harissa a traditional meal, consists of wheat grain and lamb cooked over low heat. The mutant lines also had higher seed weights and grain yields per plant than the parental line. You also can train them to return to the coop during the day by putting grain or their favorite food scraps in the coop. It was caused by a pathogen that invaded the wheat grain, and also affected durum wheats and triticale. We have power shortages and shortages of food grain, vegetables and grocery items. Pots are made in various sizes for drawing water, cooking, brewing beer, and storing grain and other foods. You need the disintegrating quality of the grain to give you a creamy but firm texture. The other issue of grave concern is the continual importation of maize grain. 2A single fruit or seed of a cereal. 谷粒 a few grains of corn 几粒玉米。 Example sentencesExamples The risotto turned out to be excellent and very well seasoned, with its fat grains of al dente rice and its large chunks of tasty mushrooms. Starlings eat a diverse, omnivorous diet of invertebrates, berries and other fruit, grains, and seeds. We have a reliable supply of grains and very good quality water supply so we have something to work with. Grain flakes or rolled grains are sliced and then flattened between rollers. Eight grains of rice were scattered across the table, polished and gleaming like tiny gems. Although the grains of rice were just this side of undercooked, the sauce was packed with a rich, pungent flavour. It's made with thick grains of sushi rice and served in a bowl with two warm croquettes filled with mango sauce. If we plant one seed of barley, when it matures we will have several grains of barley. I would roast and cook the grains in quantities large enough to serve several times in the coming days and put a small pile on my husband's plate for a taste. His diet consists mainly of grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables and non-stimulating drinks. You may need to add grains of rice or beans and shake to get scouring action with these products also. Those tastes were wonderfully different, especially the seeds and grains of the outback. I got into the raw foods theory when I was in my late twenties and would only eat raw vegetables and raw fruit, with a small amount of grains and nuts. Single grains of sweetcorn are excellent in natural and dyed and/or flavoured forms. Other materials favoured by Yin and fellow artists are human hair, beans, pearls, stones or grains of rice. The individual grains of wheat and rice are also fruits by this definition. Inside a caravan two anti-war protesters cooked their final few grains of rice before waving goodbye. It was more of a soup than a pudding, with soft grains of rice resting beneath a slightly cardamom-ized sweetened milk, topped with chopped pistachio nuts. I like to go one better and add grains of boiled rice as well. Where people are wealthier, there is the luxury of experimenting with a variety of breads which may include more types of grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Synonyms kernel, seed, grist, fruit 2.1 A small hard particle of a substance such as salt or sand. 小而硬的颗粒（如盐粒或沙粒） a grain of salt 一粒盐。 Example sentencesExamples The lengthy but exciting search for dust grains will be conducted by Internet volunteers. I've learned all about negative calories and calorie-free soup today (hot water with a grain of salt in it). This early embryo is a ball of cells smaller than a grain of sand. The Leonids are grains of dust from comet Tempel-Tuttle colliding into Earth's atmosphere. This wider mix of particle sizes is important because how much sediment a river carries also depends on the relative mix of coarse and fine grains. During the event, particles smaller than a grain of sand burn up as they stream through the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of 150,000 miles an hour. Pollen grain number was calculated for 20 flowers (five each from four trees) of each type. Well, some of us may give objects personalities but we've never come even remotely close to assigning a personality to something like a grain of sand. Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand. You don't regard a grain of sand when building a pyramid; you interact with a mass of sand. We banged the mortar and pestle like oriental drummers in the echoing stainless steel kitchen, but our ground cumin and coriander looked more like gravel than grains of the finest spices. The highest ever count - 1,100 grains of pollen per cubic metre - was recorded in Cardiff in 1992. Pollen grain viability at the time of anther dehiscence and later stages was estimated using the fluorescein diacetate test. This planet is a grain of sand in a universe that is so much greater than we can dream. That was 360 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air. The last word he shouts after her when she leaves the house settles in his mind the way a grain of sand comes to a halt in the dense flesh of oysters. Forecasters said the pollen count across Greater Manchester would be high today, between 50 and 149 grains of grass pollen per cubic metre of air. A large percentage of the sand grains are composed of fragments from the green alga Halimeda. It contains particles smaller than a grain of sand, each one containing a unique nine-digit identification code. The perfect mix for sandcastles is one part water for every eight parts of sand but another factor is the density of the sand, with finer grains producing a better mix. Synonyms granule, particle, speck, spot, mote, mite, dot 2.2 The smallest possible quantity or amount of a quality. 最小的数量；最少的质量 there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said 他说的话没有一丁点是真的。 Example sentencesExamples But some religious practices have grains of truth in them. Illusions need not be all false; they may contain grains of truth. Yesterday's review by two animal behaviour experts at Cambridge University suggests that there might be more than a grain of truth in such stories. Old notions die hard, especially when they contain a solid grain of truth. I was beginning to think how beautiful every grain of freedom was. Anybody who knows him will find more than a grain of truth in the story, for he is one of the most taciturn men in football. I don't know anyone with a grain of football knowledge who thinks that England will saunter to a four-goal victory. But, I should confess, there was still a tiny voice in the back of my mind wondering if there might still be a grain of truth in the story about a suggested link between autism and MMR. The grains of truth in their claim explode in their minds into hatred and obliterate all reason. He pondered the possibility of a grain of truth in each, and lost himself in thought. The barbs aimed from the English duo of Austin Healey and Matt Dawson in 2001 hurt, but Henry has been big enough to accept the grains of truth and move on. Hints, like Halloween, often hold more than a grain of truth. The bepimpled teenager channelling his angst through a controller in the darkness of his parent's basement is a cliché with more than a few grains of truth. In most of these criticisms there is a grain of truth, but collectively they suggest a determination not to be pleased. Synonyms trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, tinge, shadow 2.3 A discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc., typically visible only when a surface is magnified. （尤指只有表面被放大才能看得见的）（金属、火成岩等的）微粒；晶粒 Example sentencesExamples On the basis of their morphology, they are interpreted to be late-stage igneous grains. Quartz grains are angular, suggestive of eolian origin. The grain size of an igneous rock depends upon the rate of cooling. Some are made up of dense, black, homogeneous basalt, with no visible mineral grains. The diamonds he watches so closely are not the rocks on the rings of the rich and famous, they are tiny grains of pure carbon coating the blades, polishers and shapers the company produces. 2.4 A piece of solid propellant for use in a rocket engine. （用于火箭发动机的）固体推进剂 Example sentencesExamples Minor variations in the weight of the projectile, form of the rotating band, and moisture content and temperature of the propellant grains. 3The smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1/5760 of a pound troy and 1/7000 of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 0.0648 grams). 格令（金衡制和常衡制中最小的重量单位，等于金衡镑的1/5760和常衡磅的1/7000即约等于0. 0648 克） Example sentencesExamples How anyone dreamed up a system where 20 fluid ounces makes one pint, 437.5 grains makes one ounce and 1,760 yards makes one mile is beyond us. The prize nuggets ranged from about 12 grains to about 3 pennyweights. The power factor is simply bullet weight in grains multiplied by velocity in feet per second, divided by 1,000. It's not so surprising that people chose the grain (weighing four point eight centigrams) as the unit of measure. Multiply the hardness of the water in grains per gallon by 8 (or 7.866 to be more precise). The ounce was approximately 450 grains, i.e. slightly heavier than the modern one. It is available in two forms at sporting goods stores - one calibrated in grains and the other in grams. Consider four 7mm cartridges, all firing 139-to 140 - grain bullets. In the metric system, there are 454 grams to a pound but there are 7,000 grains. It's a boat-tailed bullet (that is, the rear of the bullet is tapered) and weighs 173 grains. They had to drop bullet weight about 20 grains but did they have to reduce velocity from .45 Colt loads? Bullet weights from 185 to 230 grains were fired at combat distances with elevation being right on for all practical purposes. It was a spinoff of a laboratory scale that was simply told to read grains instead of grams. The weight is a few grains more which may stiffen the shaft a little. Incidentally, some may wonder why we have oddball bullet weights such as 139 and 154 grains. Pour your powder into the hopper, enter in your desired charge weight in grains, and press a button. Bullet weights increasing from 110 to 180 grains in normal increments seemed like a sensible idea. Prior to 1933, the name ‘dollar’ was used to refer to a unit of gold that had a weight of 23.22 grains. 4The longitudinal arrangement or pattern of fibers in wood, paper, etc. （木头、纸张等的）纹路；纹理 he scored along the grain of the table with the knife 他用刀在桌上顺着木头的纹路刻着。 Example sentencesExamples Mark Bishop's Black Heart Myrtle platter has a simple shape that shows the rich colour and unusual grain of this timber. The end grain of a very hard wood is used and the cuts into the wood are made along the grain. Cut a narrow strip of fusible tricot interfacing along the lengthwise grain and apply it to the wrong side of the zipper seam. I haven't found anyone who claims 100 percent accuracy in identifying special grain patterns just by looking at bark. Heavy cutting of solid wood along the grain is best done with a dedicated ripping blade. The fabric may need to be refolded along the crosswise grain to accommodate the pattern pieces. Wood may vary greatly in hardness, grain pattern, and grain direction. For the best fit around the torso, position the body pattern pieces with their length along the crosswise grain. He lay on his side, staring at the pattern of the wood grain on the bedpost, wishing he could just drop off. The wood grain should run longitudinally to minimize warping and cracking. His fingers started absently tracing patterns in the wood grain on the bar. Translucent wood stains complement the natural beauty of wood by allowing the pattern of the grain to show. Because polyurethanes are a surface finish, care should be taken to work along the grain. The direction of the grain, as well as the amount of figuring in the wood, can affect the way it is sanded and sawed. As soon as she was gone, I sighed loudly and stared at the table, mentally tracing the patterns of the wood grain. If you do woodwork at school, you learn to exploit the properties of wood, such as it splits along the grain. For garment sewing, where pattern pieces are usually cut on the lengthwise grain, try one or more of the following. It is hard and durable, has good grain patterns, and mills and finishes nicely. Cut the beef into very thin slices across the grain into bite-size pieces (or ask your butcher to do this). Cut the beef across the grain into paper thin slices. Synonyms texture, intertexture, surface, finish, feel 4.1 Roughness in texture of wood, stone, etc.; the arrangement and size of constituent particles. （木头、石头等）纹理的粗糙程度；组成粒子的排列和大小 the lighter, finer grain of the wood is attractive 木头上细密、颜色浅的纹路很好看。 Example sentencesExamples We pushed open the 600 year-old great oak door, hard as bell metal with the patina of pilgrimage etched deep into its rough grain and stepped in. Like teak, it is prized for its strength, weight and working quality - the fine grain, for example, allows the wood to be polished to a high shine. When did you last trace the grain in a piece of wood, sing a song, or just hold someone's hand? When cutting rocks is that most sedimentary rock will cut easier when you follow the grain in the rock. His enormous woodcuts depend upon many smaller woodcuts and upon the fine grain of the wood itself. But perhaps the art of joinery is subtle enough to conceal the ill-will of the maker in the fine grain of the wood, or to obscure it with careful polishing. The complete absence of grain and texture makes carving difficult and unrewarding. He let his weight carry him to the floor with his back leaning against the desk, the feel of the wood grain against his back called up memories that made him feel even weaker. Later, other tectonic events created a series of fractures that cut across the grain of the gneiss. Texture: do you want the frame and molding to appear smooth and slick or do you want to feel the wood's grain? I touched the wood of the central cabin, feeling solidity and wood grain warmed by the morning sun under my fingertips. 4.2 The rough or textured outer surface of leather, or of a similar artificial material. （皮革或其他类似人工材料的）粗糙面；皱面 Example sentencesExamples Again, it works because there is nothing token or apologetic about it, and you end up not minding the hard plastic surfaces because they are honest enough not to ape leather grain. Eagle's new ‘Ultra Ivory’ is a synthetic material with the grain and texture of real ivory. The Hissatsu's grip is black polymer with a molded-in deep pebble grain surface. 4.3Mining Lamination or planes of cleavage in materials such as stone and coal. 〔矿〕（石头和煤等原料的）解理面；劈理面 4.4Photography A granular appearance of a photograph or negative, which is in proportion to the size of the emulsion particles composing it. 〔摄〕颗粒（出现在照片或底片上，与组成其的乳胶粒的大小成比例） Example sentencesExamples There is a small amount of grain, though it's never overly intrusive while watching the film. Edge enhancement was kept at a minimum, and only a small amount of grain was spotted. The only flaw I spotted was a small amount of grain in a few key scenes. The grain and camcorder quality degrade the already poor material to the point of being unwatchable. That said, at times the picture does have a fair amount of grain which is the biggest flaw in the image quality. 5archaic A person's character or natural tendency. 〈古〉（人的）性格；天性 Example sentencesExamples The complexity of modern Britain which put at the heart of New Labour is just not reflected in the fine grain of this new movement. And it doesn't go with the grain of human nature. Welfare had to work with the grain of human nature. ‘You have to reflect the history of the area and you have to give something back which reflects the urban grain,’ he said. The last argument O'Neill deals with is that the market runs with the grain of human nature which is self interest. Synonyms personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, mentality, turn of mind, psychology, psyche, constitution, make-up, make, stamp, mould, cast 6historical Kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these. 〈史〉胭脂虫；胭脂虫红 verbɡreɪnɡrān [with object] 1Give a rough surface or texture to. 使表面（或纹理）粗糙 her fingers were grained with chalk dust 她的手指因为粉笔灰变得粗糙起来。 Example sentencesExamples Her body was becoming grained with sweat. 1.1no object Form into grains. 成粒状 if the sugar does grain up, add more water 糖如果结成粒状，就再加点水。 Example sentencesExamples The acid had the desirable effect of keeping the sugar mixture clear and hard when it cooled, instead of graining, i.e. recrystallizing to granulated sugar. 2usually as noun grainingPaint (especially furniture or interior surfaces) in imitation of the grain of wood or marble. （尤指将家具或内表面）漆成木纹（或大理石纹） the art of graining and marbling 漆木纹和漆大理石纹的艺术。 Example sentencesExamples If you're familiar with wood graining this technique will be easy for you to master. In the room from North East, he settled on a faded coat of greenish-blue paint visible over earlier layers of white and trompe l'oeil graining. Among these are smoke graining (executed with a candle), dry graining (achieved by squeezing most of the paint off the brush), stenciling, and freehand painting. Nathaniel Clements, another decorative artist from Dublin, likes to work with finishes such as marbling and graining that date back to the 18th century. I think I could paint and grain a door even today, because I can recollect how he used to do it. 3Remove hair from (a hide) 将（生皮）去毛 the boots were of best grained leather 这些靴子是用去毛去得最好的皮制成的。 4North American Feed (a horse) on grain. 〈北美〉用谷物喂（马） Example sentencesExamples He dismounted, led the horse to the barn and grained him. I still have a field of good timothy and alfalfa I let them up the hill cut on shares, and I grain her just as much as I need. The boy who took the mare in and grained it knew one thing about the owner instantly. Grain the horse no sooner than two hours after the ride. Phrases against the grain Contrary to the natural inclination or feeling of someone or something. 格格不入，违反意愿 it goes against the grain to tell outright lies Example sentencesExamples For an estate agent, having to talk a house down instead of up goes against the grain, admits Craig Grantham. Much as it goes against the grain to praise the legal profession in any way, I was reminded earlier this week of one of the benefits of the profession. But helping the poor directly would go against the grain of the ruling party's old guard. When did you last hear a politician genuinely appeal to our higher nature, go against the grain because what they believed in was simply the right thing to do? We like to find unique clothes that bring out the best in our personalities and go against the grain. Time after time, he's undertaken initiatives which have gone against the grain of public opinion. That crazy non-conformist is totally going against the grain by wearing an outfit designed by Wayne Cooper. Not taking as final the manager's opinion on player purchases goes against the grain in the British game. Most young people are afraid of not being accepted if they go against the grain. I've decided to go against the grain and not have any mixed drinks tonight. in grain 成粒状 Thorough, genuine, by nature, or downright; indelible. Example sentencesExamples Dumourier was known to be a scoundrel in grain. Origin Middle English (originally in the sense ‘seed, grain of corn’): from Old French grain, from Latin granum. noun.1 phr.
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