Grater

//ˈɡɹeɪtə// name, noun

name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    a tool with which one grates, especially foods such as cheese, to facilitate getting small particles or shreds off a solid lump

    "I'm making coleslaw; do you know where the grater is?"

  2. 2
    utensil with sharp perforations for shredding foods (as vegetables or cheese) wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Example

More examples

"You might not need a grater if you have good knife skills."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Old French grateor. See grate. By surface analysis, grate (“to scrape, etc.”) + -er.

Etymology 2

Two main origins: * From Old French grateor (“one who grates”), hence possibly an occupational surname for a furbisher. * Borrowed from German Gräter, an occupational surname for a worker in a granary or warehouse, from Middle High German grede (“granary, warehouse”).

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.