grid

noun

ˈgrid 

1

: grating

2

a(1)

: a perforated or ridged metal plate used as a conductor in a storage battery

(2)

: an electrode consisting of a mesh or a spiral of fine wire in an electron tube

(3)

: a network of conductors for distribution of electric power

also : a network of radio or television stations

b

: a network of uniformly spaced horizontal and perpendicular lines (as for locating points on a map)

also : something resembling such a network

a road grid

c

: gridiron sense 3

broadly : football

3

: the starting positions of cars on a racecourse

4

: a device in a photocomposer on which are located the characters to be exposed as the text is composed

Examples of grid in a Sentence

The students plotted points on a grid.

The city streets form a grid.

Recent Examples on the Web

But industry analysts say regulations need to be streamlined so companies can build clean-energy projects and connect them to power grids faster. —Michael Copley, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025

The bigger costs of generating power are intertwined related to federal policies and the management of the New England grid. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2025

Threat level: The cold threatens to burst pipes, stress electricity grids and damage crops on top of the public health hazards to people. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025

Offshore wind energy is integral to the United States' plan to transition to a carbon-neutral power grid. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from gridiron

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grid

• cattle grid
• micro-grid
• off-grid
• off-the-grid

Kids Definition

grid

noun

ˈgrid 

1

: grating sense 1

2

: a metal plate used as a conductor in a storage battery

3

: an element of an electron tube consisting of a network of fine wire

4

: a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines (as for locating points on a map using coordinates or for counting a sample of particles or organisms on a microscope slide)

5

: a network of conductors for distribution of electrical power

also : a network of radio or television stations