- [uncountable, countable]
the small hard seeds of food plants such as wheat, rice, etc.; a single seed of such a plant 谷物；谷粒 
Russia sold 12 million tons of grain abroad last year. 俄罗斯去年向国外出售了1200万吨粮食。 America’s grain exports 美国的谷物出口 The journal reports that eating whole grains protects against diabetes. 这家期刊报道说吃全麦食品可预防糖尿病。 - grain of something
a few grains of rice 几粒大米
Extra ExamplesTopics Farmingb1, Foodb1Grain production has been falling in recent years. 近年来粮食产量一直在下降。 There were just a few grains of corn left. 只剩下一些玉米粒了。 The government intends to import only five per cent of the country's grain. 政府打算只进口全国粮食总量的5%。 The peasants had ceased to sow grain. 农民已经停止播种谷物。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- large
- small
- whole
- …
- grow
- produce
- store
- …
- harvest
- production
- yield
- …
- [countable] grain (of something)
a small hard piece of particular substances 颗粒；细粒 a grain of salt/sand/sugar 一粒盐／沙／砂糖 I got a grain of sand in my eye. 我眼里有一粒沙子。
- [countable]
(used especially in negative sentences 尤用于否定句 a very small amount 少量；微量；一点儿 - [countable]
a small unit of weight, equal to 0.00143 of a pound or 0.0648 of a gram, used for example for weighing medicines 格令（重量单位，等于 0.00143 磅或 0.0648 克，用于称量药物等） The analysis showed a few grains of arsenic in the solution. 分析显示溶液中有几格令的砷。
- [uncountable, singular]
the natural direction of lines in wood, cloth, etc. or of layers of rock; the pattern of lines that you can see （木、织物或石头等的）纹理 - along/across the grain
to cut a piece of wood along/across the grain 顺着纹路劈木头；横对纹路把木头拦腰截断 This wood has a beautiful natural grain. 这种木材有着漂亮的天然纹理。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fine
- smooth
- coarse
- …
- across the grain
- against the grain
- along the grain
- …
- along/across the grain
- [uncountable, countable]
how rough or smooth a surface feels （表面的）质地；触感 wood of coarse/fine grain 质地粗／细的木头
Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘seed, grain of corn’): from Old French grain, from Latin granum.
Idioms
be/go against the grain
take something with a grain of salt (North American English)
(also take something with a pinch of salt British and North American English)
used to warn somebody not to believe something completely 谷物： 曾经警告某人不要完全相信某件事If I were you, I'd take everything he says with a grain of salt. 如果我是你，我会对他说的一切半信半疑。