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grid

American  
[grid] / grɪd /

noun

  1. a grating of crossed bars; gridiron.

  2. Electricity.

    1. a metallic framework employed in a storage cell or battery for conducting the electric current and supporting the active material.

    2. a system of electrical distribution serving a large area, especially by means of high-tension lines.

  3. Electronics. an electrode in a vacuum tube, usually consisting of parallel wires, a coil of wire, or a screen, for controlling the flow of electrons between the other electrodes.

  4. Surveying. a basic system of reference lines for a region, consisting of straight lines intersecting at right angles.

  5. a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines, uniformly spaced, for locating points on a map, chart, or aerial photograph by means of a system of coordinates.

  6. Architecture. a rectangular system of coordinates used in locating the principal elements of a plan.

  7. grillage.

  8. Football. gridiron.

idioms

  1. off grid. See off-grid. Also off the grid

grid British  
/ ɡrɪd /

noun

  1. See gridiron

  2. a network of horizontal and vertical lines superimposed over a map, building plan, etc, for locating points

  3. a grating consisting of parallel bars

  4. the national network of transmission lines, pipes, etc, by which electricity, gas, or water is distributed

  5. short for national grid

  6. Also called: control grid.  electronics

    1. an electrode situated between the cathode and anode of a valve usually consisting of a cylindrical mesh of wires, that controls the flow of electrons between cathode and anode See also screen grid suppressor grid

    2. ( as modifier )

      the grid bias

  7. See starting grid

  8. a plate in an accumulator that carries the active substance

  9. any interconnecting system of links

    the bus service formed a grid across the country

  10. Northern English dialect word for face

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gridded adjective

Etymology

Origin of grid

First recorded in 1830–40; short for gridiron

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Companies will need ‘direct’ energy sources rather than rely only on the electric grid.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cybersecurity defense needs to begin with full-system analysis of the software already deployed—in power grids, pipelines, financial systems and defense platforms.

From The Wall Street Journal

This month Ofgem, the UK's energy market regulator, said a surge in demand for grid connections last year had been "driven by the rapid growth" of data centres.

From BBC

Connecting new data centers to the grid also raises transmission costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

But many of Asia's data centres will add demand to grids still heavily reliant on planet-warming fossil fuels.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.