grain

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
grain/ɡreɪn/

▶noun

• 1 wheat or other cultivated cereal used as food.

  ■ a single seed or fruit of a cereal.

• 2 a small, hard particle of a substance such as sand.

  ■ a discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc.

• 3 the 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).

  ■ the smallest possible amount: there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said.

• 4 the longitudinal arrangement of fibres in wood, paper, etc.

  ■ the texture of wood, stone, etc.

• 5 the rough or wrinkled outer surface of leather.

• 6 a grainy appearance of a photograph or negative.

• 7 historical kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these.

▶verb

• 1 give a rough surface or texture to.

• 2 form into grains.

• 3 (usu. as noun graining) paint in imitation of the grain of wood or marble.

• 4 remove hair from (a hide).

– phrases
against the grain contrary to one's nature or instinct.

– derivatives
-grained adjective,
grainer noun,
grainless adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. grain, from L. granum; sense 3 arose because the weight was orig. equivalent to that of a grain of wheat.