Grail Grail noun [ Old French graal , greal , greet, French graal , gréal , Late Latin gradalis , gradale , probably derived from Latin crater bowl, mixing vessel, Greek krath`r . See Crater. ] A broad, open dish; a chalice; -- only used of the Holy Grail .

»The Holy Grail , according to some legends of the Middle Ages, was the cup used by our Savior in dispensing the wine at the last supper; and according to others, the platter on which the paschal lamb was served at the last Passover observed by our Lord. This cup, according to the legend, if appoached by any but a perfectly pure and holy person, would be borne away and vanish from the sight. The quest of the Holy Grail was to be undertaken only by a knight who was perfectly chaste in thought, word, and act.

Grail Grail noun [ French grêle hail, from grÉs grit, Old High German griex , grioz , German gries , gravel, grit. See Grit. ] Small particles of earth; gravel. [ Obsolete]

Lying down upon the sandy grail.

Spenser.

Grail Grail (gr&mac;l) noun [ Confer Old French graite slender, French grête .] One of the small feathers of a hawk.

Graille Graille (gr&mac;l) noun [ Confer French grêle a sort of file.] A halfround single-cut file or fioat, having one curved face and one straight face, -- used by comb makers. Knight.

Grain Grain v. & noun See Groan. [ Obsolete]

Grain Grain (gr&mac;n) noun [ French grain , Latin granum , grain, seed, small kernel, small particle. See Corn , and confer Garner , noun , Garnet , Gram the chick-pea, Granule , Kernel. ]

1. A single small hard seed; a kernel, especially of those plants, like wheat, whose seeds are used for food.

2. The fruit of certain grasses which furnish the chief food of man, as corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc., or the plants themselves; -- used collectively.

Storehouses crammed with grain.

Shak.

3. Any small, hard particle, as of sand, sugar, salt, etc.; hence, any minute portion or particle; as, a grain of gunpowder, of pollen, of starch, of sense, of wit, etc.

I . . . with a grain of manhood well resolved.

Milton.

4. The unit of the English system of weights; -- so called because considered equal to the average of grains taken from the middle of the ears of wheat. 7,000 grains constitute the pound avoirdupois, and 5,760 grains the pound troy. A grain is equal to .0648 gram. See Gram.

5. A reddish dye made from the coccus insect, or kermes; hence, a red color of any tint or hue, as crimson, scarlet, etc.; sometimes used by the poets as equivalent to Tyrian purple .

All in a robe of darkest grain.

Milton.

Doing as the dyers do, who, having first dipped their silks in colors of less value, then give' them the last tincture of crimson in grain.

Quoted by Coleridge, preface to Aids to Reflection.

6. The composite particles of any substance; that arrangement of the particles of any body which determines its comparative roughness or hardness; texture; as, marble, sugar, sandstone, etc., of fine grain .

Hard box, and linden of a softer grain .

Dryden.

7. The direction, arrangement, or appearance of the fibers in wood, or of the strata in stone, slate, etc.

Knots, by the conflux of meeting sap,
Infect the sound pine and divert his grain
Tortive and errant from his course of growth.

Shak.

8. The fiber which forms the substance of wood or of any fibrous material.

9. The hair side of a piece of leather, or the marking on that side. Knight.

10. plural The remains of grain, etc., after brewing or distillation; hence, any residuum. Also called draff .

11. (Botany) A rounded prominence on the back of a sepal, as in the common dock. See Grained , adjective , 4.

12. Temper; natural disposition; inclination. [ Obsolete]

Brothers . . . not united in grain.

Hayward.

13. A sort of spice, the grain of paradise. [ Obsolete]

He cheweth grain and licorice,
To smellen sweet.

Chaucer.

Against the grain , against or across the direction of the fibers; hence, against one's wishes or tastes; unwillingly; unpleasantly; reluctantly; with difficulty. Swift. Saintsbury. -- A grain of allowance , a slight indulgence or latitude a small allowance. -- Grain binder , an attachment to a harvester for binding the grain into sheaves. -- Grain colors , dyes made from the coccus or kermes insect. -- Grain leather . (a) Dressed horse hides. (b) Goat, seal, and other skins blacked on the grain side for women's shoes, etc. -- Grain moth (Zoology) , one of several small moths, of the family Tineidæ (as Tinea granella and Butalis cerealella ), whose larvæ devour grain in storehouses. -- Grain side (Leather) , the side of a skin or hide from which the hair has been removed; -- opposed to flesh side. -- Grains of paradise , the seeds of a species of amomum. -- grain tin , crystalline tin ore metallic tin smelted with charcoal. -- Grain weevil (Zoology) , a small red weevil ( Sitophilus granarius ), which destroys stored wheat and other grain, by eating out the interior. -- Grain worm (Zoology) , the larva of the grain moth. See grain moth , above. -- In grain , of a fast color; deeply seated; fixed; innate; genuine. "Anguish in grain." Herbert. -- To dye in grain , to dye of a fast color by means of the coccus or kermes grain [ see Grain , noun , 5]; hence, to dye firmly; also, to dye in the wool, or in the raw material. See under Dye.

The red roses flush up in her cheeks . . .
Likce crimson dyed in grain.

Spenser.

-- To go against the grain of (a person), to be repugnant to; to vex, irritate, mortify, or trouble.

Grain Grain transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Grained (grānd); present participle & verbal noun Graining. ] 1. To paint in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.

2. To form (powder, sugar, etc.) into grains.

3. To take the hair off (skins); to soften and raise the grain of (leather, etc.).

Grain Grain intransitive verb [ French grainer , grener. See Grain , noun ] 1. To yield fruit. [ Obsolete] Gower.

2. To form grains, or to assume a granular form, as the result of crystallization; to granulate.

Grain Grain (grān) noun [ See Groin a part of the body.]

1. A branch of a tree; a stalk or stem of a plant. [ Obsolete] G. Douglas.

2. A tine, prong, or fork. Specifically: (a) One the branches of a valley or of a river. (b) plural An iron fish spear or harpoon, having four or more barbed points.

3. A blade of a sword, knife, etc.

4. (Founding) A thin piece of metal, used in a mold to steady a core.

Grained Grained (grānd) adjective 1. Having a grain; divided into small particles or grains; showing the grain; hence, rough.

2. Dyed in grain; ingrained.

Persons lightly dipped, not grained , in generous honesty, are but pale in goodness.

Sir T. Browne.

3. Painted or stained in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.

4. (Botany) Having tubercles or grainlike processes, as the petals or sepals of some flowers.

Grainer Grain"er (grān"ẽr) noun 1. An infusion of pigeon's dung used by tanners to neutralize the effects of lime and give flexibility to skins; -- called also grains and bate.

2. A knife for taking the hair off skins.

3. One who paints in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.; also, the brush or tool used in graining.

Grainfield Grain"field` (-fēld`) noun A field where grain is grown.

Graining Grain"ing noun 1. Indentation; roughening; milling, as on edges of coins. Locke.

2. A process in dressing leather, by which the skin is softened and the grain raised.

3. Painting or staining, in imitation of the grain of wood, stone, etc.

4. (Soap Making) The process of separating soap from spent lye, as with salt.

Graining Grain"ing noun (Zoology) A small European fresh-water fish ( Leuciscus vulgaris ); - - called also dobule , and dace .

Grains Grains (grānz) noun plural 1. See 5th Grain , noun , 2 (b) .

2. Pigeon's dung used in tanning. See Grainer. noun , 1.

Grainy Grain"y (grān"ȳ) adjective Resembling grains; granular.

Graip Graip (grāp) noun [ Perh. akin to grope, gripe.] A dungfork. [ Scot.] Burns.

Graith Graith (grāth) transitive verb [ Obsolete] See Greith. Chaucer.

Graith Graith noun Furniture; apparatus or accouterments for work, traveling, war, etc. [ Scot.] Jamieson.

Grakle Gra"kle (grăk"'l) noun (Zoology) See Grackle.

Grallatores Gral"la·to"res noun plural [ New Latin from Latin grallator one who runs on stilts.] (Zo\94l.) See Grallæ .

Grallatorial, Grallatory Gral`la·to"ri·al, Gral"la·to·ry adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Grallatores, or waders.

Grallic Gral"lic adjective (Zoology) Pertaining to the Grallæ.

Gralline Gral"line (līn) adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Grallæ.

Gralloch Gral"loch noun Offal of a deer. -- transitive verb To remove the offal from (a deer).

Grallæ Gral"læ noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin grallae stilts, for gradulae , from gradus. See Grade. ] (Zoology) An order of birds which formerly included all the waders. By later writers it is usually restricted to the sandpipers, plovers, and allied forms; -- called also Grallatores.

Gram Gram adjective [ Anglo-Saxon gram; akin to E. grim. √35.] Angry. [ Obsolete] Havelok, the Dane.

Gram Gram noun [ Portuguese gr?o grain. See Grain. ] (Botany) The East Indian name of the chick- pea ( Cicer arietinum ) and its seeds; also, other similar seeds there used for food.

Gram, Gramme Gram, Gramme noun [ French gramme , from Greek ? that which is written, a letter, a small weight, from ? to write. See Graphic. ] The unit of weight in the metric system. It was intended to be exactly, and is very nearly, equivalent to the weight in a vacuum of one cubic centimeter of pure water at its maximum density. It is equal to 15.432 grains. See Grain , noun , 4.

Gram degree , or Gramme degree (Physics) , a unit of heat, being the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one gram of pure water one degree centigrade. -- Gram equivalent (Electrolysis) , that quantity of the metal which will replace one gram of hydrogen.

Grama grass Gra"ma grass` [ Spanish grama a sort of grass.] (Botany) The name of several kinds of pasture grasses found in the Western United States, esp. the Bouteloua oligostachya .

Gramarye Gram"a·rye noun [ Middle English gramer , grameri , gramori , grammar, magic, Old French gramaire , French grammaire. See Grammar. ] Necromancy; magic. Sir W. Scott.

Gramashes Gra·mash"es noun plural [ See Gamashes. ] Gaiters reaching to the knee; leggings.

Strong gramashes, or leggings of thick gray cloth.

Sir W. Scott.

Grame Grame noun [ See Gram , adjective ] 1. Anger; wrath; scorn. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

2. Sorrow; grief; misery. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Gramercy Gra·mer"cy interj. [ French grand- merci . See Grand , and Mercy. ] A word formerly used to express thankfulness, with surprise; many thanks.

Gramercy, Mammon, said the gentle knight.

Spenser.

Graminaceous Gram"i·na"ceous adjective [ Latin gramen , graminis , grass.] Pertaining to, or resembling, the grasses; gramineous; as, graminaceous plants.

Gramineal Gra·min"e·al adjective Gramineous.

Gramineous Gra·min"e·ous adjective [ Latin gramineus , from gramen , graminis , grass.] (Botany) Like, Or pertaining to, grass. See Grass , noun , 2.

Graminifolious Gram"i·ni·fo"li·ous adjective [ Latin gramen , graminis , grass + folium leaf.] (Botany) Bearing leaves resembling those of grass.

Graminivorous Gram"i·niv"o·rous adjective [ Latin gramen , graminis , grass + vorare to eat greedily.] Feeding or subsisting on grass, and the like food; -- said of horses, cattle, and other animals.

Grammalogue Gram"ma·logue (grăm"mȧ*lŏg) noun [ Greek gra`mma letter + lo`gos word. Confer Logogram .] (Phonography) Literally, a letter word ; a word represented by a logogram; as, it , represented by