What does "grid" mean?
A rectangular array of squares or rectangles of equal size, such as in a crossword puzzle.
Grid
/ɡɹɪd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rectangular array of squares or rectangles of equal size, such as in a crossword puzzle.
- Grammar: grid is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: table, acting area, andiron, apron.
- Useful contrasts: disconnect, freeform layout, random pattern.
- Usage evidence: Solar storms next year could prove disastrous for the electrical grid.
How to use "grid"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "grid" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "grid" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "grid" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "grid" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "grid" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "table" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "grid", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rectangular array of squares or rectangles of equal size, such as in a crossword puzzle.
- 2 Acronym of gay-related immunodeficiency (“AIDS”) . abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, dated, uncountable
"The cause of the disorder is unknown. Researchers call it A.I.D., for acquired immunodeficiency disease, or GRID, for gay-related immunodeficiency. It has been reported in 20 states and seven countries."
- 3 a cooking utensil of parallel metal bars; used to grill fish or meat wordnet
- 4 A tiling of the plane with regular polygons; a honeycomb.
- 5 an electrode placed between the cathode and anode of a vacuum tube to control the flow of electrons through the tube wordnet
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A system for delivery of electricity, consisting of various substations, transformers and generators, connected by wire.
"You can't turn off the building from here; you have to shut down the whole grid."
- 7 a perforated or corrugated metal plate used in a storage battery as a conductor and support for the active material wordnet
- 8 A system or structure of distributed computers working mostly on a peer-to-peer basis, used mainly to solve single and complex scientific or technical problems or to process data at high speeds (as in clusters).
- 9 a system of high tension cables by which electrical power is distributed throughout a region wordnet
- 10 A method of marking off maps into areas.
- 11 a pattern of regularly spaced horizontal and vertical lines wordnet
- 12 The pattern of starting positions of the drivers for a race.
"McLaren's Lewis Hamilton fought up from the back of the grid to eighth, with team-mate Jenson Button taking ninth."
- 13 The third (or higher) electrode of a vacuum tube (triode or higher).
- 14 A battery-plate somewhat like a grating, especially a zinc plate in a primary battery, or a lead plate in a secondary or storage battery.
- 15 A grating of parallel bars; a gridiron.
"They camped that night at Dingo Creek, the fire Jim quickly made, Put the Billy on the cross-piece, pitched the tent, Brought a steak from 'neath the saddle-flap, and on the "grid" 'twas laid, A piece of rusty fencing wire, well bent."
- 16 An openwork ceiling above the stage or studio, used for affixing lights etc.
"Everything on the grid – all the backdrops and curtains, anything that has to move up and down from the fly-tower – has to be counterweighted."
Verb
- 1 To mark with a grid.
- 2 To assign a reference grid to.
- 3 To enter in a grid.
"On the SAT, to answer a grid-in question, you grid in your answer by filling out the ovals."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Solar storms next year could prove disastrous for the electrical grid."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "grid"?
Common synonyms include: table, acting area, andiron, apron, apron stage, arabesque.
How do you use "grid" in a sentence?
Solar storms next year could prove disastrous for the electrical grid.
How do you pronounce "grid"?
Pronounced /ɡɹɪd/.
Etymology
Back-formation or clipping of griddle or gridiron.