noun
grater
GRAY-ter/ˈɡreɪtər/
A kitchen tool with rough holes or edges for shredding food.
The box grater stands beside a cheese block and a pile of shreds.
Etymology
A grater is literally an instrument that scrapes. Its kitchen use preserves that action: scraping food against its rough surface removes small pieces.
In context
most people can't chop an onion fine so use a cheese grater
More examples
- Rub the carrot against the large holes of the grater.
- Fine graters turn hard cheese into delicate flakes.
- Rinse the grater before the ginger dries on it.
Forms
grater · graters
grate verb — To shred food against a rough surface.
Similar words
- shredder
- A broader term for tools that cut material into strips.
- zester
- Specifically removes the thin outer peel of citrus fruit.