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Synonyms

grout

American  
[grout] / graʊt /

noun

  1. a thin, coarse mortar poured into various narrow cavities, as masonry joints or rock fissures, to fill them and consolidate the adjoining objects into a solid mass.

  2. a coat of plaster for finishing a ceiling or interior wall.

  3. Usually grouts. lees; grounds.

  4. Archaic.

    1. coarse meal or porridge.

    2. grouts, groats.


verb (used with object)

grouts, present (3rd person singular) grouted, past participle, past grouting present participle
  1. to fill or consolidate with grout.

  2. to use as grout.

grout British  
/ ɡraʊt /

noun

  1. a thin mortar for filling joints between tiles, masonry, etc

  2. a fine plaster used as a finishing coat

  3. coarse meal or porridge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to fill (joints) or finish (walls, etc) with grout

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of grout

before 1150; Middle English; Old English grūt; see grits, groats, grit

Explanation

Grout is a paste or putty that you use to fill in the spaces between tiles or along the edge of a tub. When grout dries, it keeps tiles in place, and once it's sealed, it protects against moisture. An old-fashioned meaning of grout is "porridge or gruel," from the Old English gruta, "coarse meal," and a root meaning "to grind." These days you don't eat grout, but instead use it in home improvement projects, especially between floor or wall tiles. As a verb, to grout means "to apply grout."

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Vocabulary lists containing grout

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because Xu is a foreign national, Judge Grout told him he was "liable in principle" to be returned to his "country of origin, which is China".

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

“We had to come down to make the attempt,” Grout said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024

Grout pads are concrete slabs that anchor the track.

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2023

Grout has improved a lot since the 1970s.

From Slate • Jan. 9, 2023

Tracker Charles Grout can spot a footprint from a moving Ford Bronco.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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