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  • grille
    grille
    noun
    a grating or openwork barrier, as for a gate, usually of metal and often of decorative design.
  • grillé
    grillé
    adjective
    cooked on a grill; broiled.
Synonyms

grille

1 American  
[gril] / grɪl /
Or grill

noun

  1. a grating or openwork barrier, as for a gate, usually of metal and often of decorative design.

  2. an opening, usually covered by grillwork, for admitting air to cool the engine of an automobile or the like; radiator grille.

  3. any of various perforated screens, sheets, etc., used to cover something, as on a radio for protecting the amplifier or in cryptography for coding purposes.

  4. a ticket window covered by a grating.

  5. Court Tennis. a square-shaped winning opening on the hazard side of the court.


grillé 2 American  
[gree-yey] / griˈjeɪ /
Or grillée

adjective

  1. cooked on a grill; broiled.

  2. Textiles. having an ornamental bar or grate pattern across the open areas of a lace motif.


grille British  
/ ɡrɪl /

noun

  1. Also called: grillwork.  a framework, esp of metal bars arranged to form an ornamental pattern, used as a screen or partition

  2. Also called: radiator grille.  a grating, often chromium-plated, that admits cooling air to the radiator of a motor vehicle

  3. a metal or wooden openwork grating used as a screen or divider

  4. a protective screen, usually plastic or metal, in front of the loudspeaker in a radio, record player, etc

  5. real tennis the opening in one corner of the receiver's end of the court

  6. a group of small pyramidal marks impressed in parallel rows into a stamp to prevent reuse

"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

Etymology

Origin of grille1

1655–65; < French, Old French < Late Latin *gratīcula, Latin crātīcula (compare Old Provençal grazilha ), diminutive of crātis

Origin of grillé2

1680–90; < French: grilled; see grille

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.

See Examples For:

The polycarbonate grille form dominates the down-the-road aspect, with its nailhead-like pattern illuminated along the perimeter.

From The Wall Street Journal May 16, 2026

While not as obvious, the lower grille area is also dotted with monograms.

From The Wall Street Journal May 2, 2026

Since the theft the museum has taken several emergency measures, including replacing the grille used by the thieves as Des Cars sought to focus on a major "Louvre -- New Renaissance" renovation of the site.

From Barron's Feb. 25, 2026

Swinging the ball and crashing into the toes, pads or grille was, like Johnson, Wasim and so many other left-armers before him, Starc's main approach during the first two-thirds of his career.

From BBC Jan. 1, 2026

"That grille helps help keep bad people out," Patti says.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

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