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Dictionary Language resources

grate2

Pronunciation: /greɪt/

Translate grate | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of grate

noun

1the recess of a fireplace or furnace: a small coal fire burned in the grate
a metal frame for holding fuel in a fireplace or furnace.

2a grating.

Origin:

Middle English (meaning 'a grating'): from Old French, based on Latin cratis 'hurdle'

Do not confuse grate with great. Grate means 'shred food' (grate the cheese into a bowl) or 'a metal fireplace frame', whereas great means 'very big, important, etc.' (a great achievement for British science).