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Definition of grate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

grate

verb
 
/ɡreɪt/
 
/ɡreɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they grate
 
/ɡreɪt/
 
/ɡreɪt/
he / she / it grates
 
/ɡreɪts/
 
/ɡreɪts/
past simple grated
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪd/
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪd/
past participle grated
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪd/
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪd/
-ing form grating
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/
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  1. [transitive] grate something to rub food against a grater in order to cut it into small pieces
    • grated apple/carrot/cheese, etc.
    • Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the tomatoes.
    • a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
    Homophones grate | greatgrate   great
     
    /ɡreɪt/
     
    /ɡreɪt/
    • grate verb
      • Grate the apples and carrots and add to the mixture.
    • grate noun
      • A small fire was burning in the grate.
    • great adjective
      • She is a young player with great potential.
    • great noun(informal)
      • He's destined to become an all-time great.
    • great adverb(informal, non-standard)
      • Keep going! You're doing great!
    Collocations CookingCookingPreparing
    • prepare a dish/​a meal/​a menu/​dinner/​the fish
    • weigh out 100g/4oz of sugar/​the ingredients
    • wash/​rinse the lettuce/​spinach/​watercress
    • chop/​slice/​dice the carrots/​onions/​potatoes
    • peel the carrots/​onion/​potatoes/​garlic/​orange
    • grate a carrot/​the cheese/​some nutmeg
    • remove/​discard the bones/​seeds/​skin
    • blend/​combine/​mix (together) the flour and water/​all the ingredients/​the spices
    • beat/​whisk the cream/​eggs/​egg whites
    • knead/​shape/​roll (out) the dough
    Cooking
    • heat the oil in a frying pan
    • preheat/​heat the oven/(British English) the grill/(North American English) the broiler
    • bring to (British English) the boil/(North American English) a boil
    • stir constantly/​gently with a wooden spoon
    • reduce the heat
    • simmer gently for 20 minutes/​until reduced by half
    • melt the butter/​ghee/​chocolate/​cheese/​sugar
    • brown the meat for 8–20 minutes
    • drain the pasta/​the water from the pot/​in a colander
    • mash the potatoes/​banana/​avocado
    Ways of cooking
    • cook food/​fish/​meat/​rice/​pasta/​a Persian dish
    • bake (a loaf of) bread/​a cake/(especially North American English) cookies/(British English) biscuits/​a pie/​potatoes/​fish/​scones/​muffins
    • boil cabbage/​potatoes/​an egg/​water
    • fry/​deep-fry/​stir-fry the chicken/​vegetables
    • grill meat/​steak/​chicken/​sausages/​a hot dog
    • roast potatoes/​peppers/​meat/​chicken/​lamb
    • sauté garlic/​mushrooms/​onions/​potatoes/​vegetables
    • steam rice/​vegetables/​spinach/​asparagus/​dumplings
    • toast bread/​nuts
    • microwave food/​popcorn/(British English) a ready meal
    Serving
    • serve in a glass/​on a bed of rice/​with potatoes
    • arrange the slices on a plate/​in a layer
    • carve the meat/​lamb/​chicken/​turkey
    • dress/​toss a salad
    • dress with/​drizzle with olive oil/​vinaigrette
    • top with a slice of lemon/​a scoop of ice cream/​whipped cream/​syrup
    • garnish with a sprig of parsley/​fresh basil leaves/​lemon wedges/​a slice of lime/​a twist of orange
    • sprinkle with salt/​sugar/​herbs/​parsley/​freshly ground black pepper
    Topics Cooking and eatingc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • coarsely
    • finely
    phrases
    • freshly grated
    See full entry
  2. [intransitive] to annoy somebody
    • grate (on somebody) Her voice really grates on me.
    • He kept staring at her and it began to grate on her nerves.
    • grate (with somebody) It grated with him when people implied he wasn't really British.
  3. [intransitive, transitive] when two hard surfaces grate as they rub together, they make a sharp unpleasant sound; somebody can also make one thing grate against another
    • The rusty hinges grated as the gate swung back.
    • grate something (+ adv./prep.) He grated his knife across the plate.
    Extra Examples
    • The grit beneath her soles grated harshly on the wooden deck.
    • The steel of the helmet grated against the door.
  4. Word Originverb late Middle English: from Old French grater, of Germanic origin; related to German kratzen ‘to scratch’.
See grate in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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