grained

[ greynd ]

adjective

1. having, reduced to, consisting of, or bearing grain or grains grain (usually used in combination):

   fine-grained sand; large-grained rice.

2. having a granular form, structure, or surface:

   wood and other grained materials.

3. having an artificially produced granular texture or pattern:

   grained kid.

4. marked by a particular quality (usually used in combination):

   tough-grained journalism.

Other Words From

• grained·ness [greynd, -nis, grey, -nid-], noun
• non·grained adjective
• un·grained adjective
• well-grained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grained¹

First recorded in 1520–30; grain + -ed ³

Example Sentences

The tool, also known as a language model, learned how to recognize specific features of language both at a fine-grained level — think letters or syllables — and at a broader level, such as a word or sentence.

From Science News

Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany recently dissolved fine-grained sand made up primarily of olivine in artificial seawater.

From MIT Technology Review

Resolution refers to the number of pixels on screen, with higher resolutions being capable of more fine-grained detail and smoothness.

From Popular-Science

“Studies show the sediment from the harbor is too fine-grained, and it quickly washes away in the surf and tides,” the Union-Tribune wrote.

From Voice of San Diego

The faster the electrons, the shorter their wavelengths, which made them sensitive to more fine-grained features of the proton, as if they’d cranked up the resolution of a microscope.

From Quanta Magazine

Edith Wharton, of course, writes in such a startlingly sharp and close-grained way about how people live.

From The Daily Beast

At best, the artist gives us a fine-grained picture of her subjects, a picture that allows us to see them aright.

From The Daily Beast

Consider, for example, that all of the questions about the economy were very fine-grained.

From The Daily Beast

Close-grained grey and yellowish-grey granite, with brown mica.

From Project Gutenberg

Fine-grained quartzose sandstone, of a purplish hue, resembling a rock on the banks of the Severn, near Bridgenorth.

From Project Gutenberg

Very compact and fine-grained reddish granular quartz, with a glistening lustre, and flat conchoidal fracture.

From Project Gutenberg

The wood of apple trees is hard, close-grained and often richly colored, and is suitable for turning or cabinet work.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the latter struck my knee with force enough to wound the bone without penetrating the grained-leather boot-leg.

From Project Gutenberg