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DictionarygrainUnit of weight
noun

grain

A unit of weight equal to one seven-thousandth of a pound.

The scale measures the powder's weight in grains.

Etymology
grainLatinseed; grain

The unit takes its name from a grain of cereal used as a small weight. The standardized measure retains that name without depending on the weight of any particular seed.

More examples

  • A grain is a very small unit of weight.
  • The label gave the old measurement as sixty grains.
  • He converted the weight from grains to grams.

Forms

grain · grains

Similar words

gram
A different metric unit of mass.
ounce
A larger unit of weight.