the small, hard fruits of crops such as wheat, rice, or barley, often used for food or to make alcohol, a very small piece of a substance, especially a crystal, a unit of weight equal to 0.0648 gram, used for precious stones

take something with a grain of salt, against the grain, grain of sand

Formal and Informal Expressions of grain

In different contexts, you can replace 'grain' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'kernel, cereal' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'tiny piece, little bit' is a commonplace synonym.

grain: Explore its Definition & Usage

grain Definition

1the small, hard fruits of crops such as wheat, rice, or barley, often used for food or to make alcohol
2a very small piece of a substance, especially a crystal
3a unit of weight equal to 0.0648 gram, used for precious stones

Using grain: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "grain" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The farmer harvested the grain from his fields.
Example
I prefer whole grain bread over white bread.
Example
There was a grain of truth in what he said.
Example
He found a grain of sand in his shoe.

grain Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for grain

Antonyms for grain

Phrases with grain

take something with a grain of salt
to not completely believe or trust something that someone says, because you think it is unlikely to be true
Example
I take everything he says with a grain of salt.
against the grain
contrary to what is usual, normal, or expected
Example
He decided to go against the grain and pursue his own dreams.
grain of sand
a tiny particle of sand
Example
The beach was covered in millions of grains of sand.

Origins of grain

from Old French 'graine', meaning 'seed'

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Summary: grain in Brief

The term 'grain' [ɡreɪn] refers to small, hard fruits of crops like wheat, rice, or barley, used for food or alcohol, and also to very small pieces of substances like crystals. It extends to phrases like 'take something with a grain of salt,' meaning to not completely believe something, and 'against the grain,' meaning contrary to what is usual or expected.