GRATE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does grate mean? 

• GRATE (noun)
  The noun GRATE has 3 senses:

1. a frame of iron bars to hold a fire

2. a harsh rasping sound made by scraping something

3. a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

  Familiarity information: GRATE used as a noun is uncommon.

• GRATE (verb)
  The verb GRATE has 5 senses:

1. furnish with a grate

2. gnaw into; make resentful or angry

3. reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface

4. make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together

5. scratch repeatedly

  Familiarity information: GRATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A frame of iron bars to hold a fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

grate; grating

Hypernyms ("grate" is a kind of...):

frame; framework (a structure supporting or containing something)

Holonyms ("grate" is a part of...):

furnace (an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.)

cooking stove; kitchen range; kitchen stove; range; stove (a kitchen appliance used for cooking food)

Derivation:

grate (furnish with a grate)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A harsh rasping sound made by scraping something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("grate" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Sense 3

Meaning:

A barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

grate; grating

Hypernyms ("grate" is a kind of...):

barrier (a structure or object that impedes free movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "grate"):

grille; radiator grille (grating that admits cooling air to car's radiator)

Derivation:

grate (furnish with a grate)

• GRATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they grate    ... he / she / it grates   
Past simple: grated   
Past participle: grated   
-ing form: grating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Furnish with a grate

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

a grated fireplace

Hypernyms (to "grate" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

grate (a frame of iron bars to hold a fire)

grate (a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air)

grating (a frame of iron bars to hold a fire)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Gnaw into; make resentful or angry

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

eat into; fret; grate; rankle

Context example:

his resentment festered

Hypernyms (to "grate" is one way to...):

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will grate him

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

grate nutmeg

Hypernyms (to "grate" is one way to...):

rub (move over something with pressure)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

grater (utensil with sharp perforations for shredding foods (as vegetables or cheese))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

grate; grind

Context example:

grate one's teeth in anger

Hypernyms (to "grate" is one way to...):

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

"Grate" entails doing...:

rub (move over something with pressure)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grate"):

gnash (grind together, of teeth)

chew; jaw; manducate; masticate (chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Scratch repeatedly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

grate; scrape

Context example:

The cat scraped at the armchair

Hypernyms (to "grate" is one way to...):

rub (move over something with pressure)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grate"):

paw (scrape with the paws)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

As he spoke there was the sharp sound of horses’ hoofs and grating wheels against the curb, followed by a sharp pull at the bell.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Holmes rose and tossed the end of his cigarette into the grate.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The harsh dry tongue grated like sandpaper against his cheek.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

The rattle and bang of the frying-pan was grating horribly on my nerves.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It made a queer, grating noise.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Holmes tore it open, and then with a bitter curse hurled it into the grate.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When they heard how my mother went back to the inn, Dr. Livesey fairly slapped his thigh, and the squire cried “Bravo!” and broke his long pipe against the grate.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

It was a dog-grate, Mr. Holmes, and he overpitched it.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His papers were found burned in the grate, his wristband was clutched in the dead man’s hand, and his knife lay beside the body.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Felix visited the grate at night and made known to the prisoner his intentions in his favour.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)