gridiron

American  

[grid-ahy-ern] / ˈgrɪdˌaɪ ərn /

noun

1. a football field.

2. a utensil consisting of parallel metal bars on which to broil meat or other food.

3. any framework or network resembling a gridiron.

4. a structure above the stage of a theater, from which hung scenery and the like are manipulated.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to mark off into squares or design with a network of squares.

gridiron British  

/ ˈɡrɪdˌaɪən /

noun

1. a utensil of parallel metal bars, used to grill meat, fish, etc

2. any framework resembling this utensil

3. a framework above the stage in a theatre from which suspended scenery, lights, etc, are manipulated

4. 1. the field of play in American football

   2. an informal name for American football

   3. ( as modifier )

      a gridiron hero

---

Etymology

Origin of gridiron

1250–1300; Middle English gridirne, gridir ( e ), gridere, variant of gridel griddle; variants in -irne, -ire, etc. are associated by folk etymology with ModE variant irne, ire iron

Example Sentences

The inside baseball, or in this case, football, makes this Netflix series a fascinating watch for NFL fans, but pulling back the curtain on the gridiron gods’ humanity is where it shines.

From Los Angeles Times

Or a gridiron celebration of a certain toaster pastry?

From MarketWatch

What’s even stranger about their absence from national relevance on the gridiron is that the Ivy League essentially invented big-time college football.

From The Wall Street Journal

But beyond the strident rhetoric lies a good story about race, power and the exploitation of gridiron heroes.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was ecstatic when he got in, and quickly realized that his accomplishments on the gridiron paled in comparison to some of his new classmates.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• course
• court
• golf course
• green
• park
• range
• stadium
• terrain
• track
• turf