grater

American  

[grey-ter] / ˈgreɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that grates.

2. any of various kitchen devices for grating food.

   a cheese grater.

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grater British  

/ ˈɡreɪtə /

noun

1. a kitchen utensil with sharp-edged perforations for grating carrots, cheese, etc

2. a person or thing that grates

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Etymology

Origin of grater

1400–50; late Middle English. See grate ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

This inner surface was covered with small teeth called denticles, forming a rough grinding area similar to a cheese grater.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

I reach for lemon so often that a box grater simply doesn’t cut it.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Handcrafted from an 18th-century original, this grater nestles neatly in a bowl for shredding cheese or vegetables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

She comes back a couple of times a week, picking through the ash to look for things from a past life: cup, cracked plate, cheese grater, mixing bowl.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2025

But we cannot find a grater for the potatoes.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque