grid

American  

[grid] / grɪd /

noun

1. a grating of crossed bars; gridiron.

2. Electricity.

   1. a metallic framework employed in a storage cell or battery for conducting the electric current and supporting the active material.

   2. a system of electrical distribution serving a large area, especially by means of high-tension lines.

3. Electronics. an electrode in a vacuum tube, usually consisting of parallel wires, a coil of wire, or a screen, for controlling the flow of electrons between the other electrodes.

4. Surveying. a basic system of reference lines for a region, consisting of straight lines intersecting at right angles.

5. a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines, uniformly spaced, for locating points on a map, chart, or aerial photograph by means of a system of coordinates.

6. Architecture. a rectangular system of coordinates used in locating the principal elements of a plan.

7. grillage.

8. Football. gridiron.

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idioms

1. off grid. See off-grid. Also off the grid

grid British  

/ ɡrɪd /

noun

1. See gridiron

2. a network of horizontal and vertical lines superimposed over a map, building plan, etc, for locating points

3. a grating consisting of parallel bars

4. the national network of transmission lines, pipes, etc, by which electricity, gas, or water is distributed

5. short for national grid

6. Also called: control grid.  electronics

   1. an electrode situated between the cathode and anode of a valve usually consisting of a cylindrical mesh of wires, that controls the flow of electrons between cathode and anode See also screen grid suppressor grid

   2. ( as modifier )

      the grid bias

7. See starting grid

8. a plate in an accumulator that carries the active substance

9. any interconnecting system of links

   the bus service formed a grid across the country

10. Northern English dialect word for face

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Other Word Forms

• gridded adjective

Etymology

Origin of grid

First recorded in 1830–40; short for gridiron

Example Sentences

Some people lived off the grid up against the mountains and used their own generators for electricity.

From Los Angeles Times

Some technology companies are fighting a potential solution: disconnecting the data centers from the grid when electricity is in short supply.

From The Wall Street Journal

The grid operator, Stromnetz Berlin, said it aims to restore full power supply by Thursday afternoon.

From Barron's

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but about 45,500 households and 2,200 businesses in districts in southwest Berlin were left without power, according to grid operator Stromnetz Berlin.

From Barron's

Also, the additional quota bidding of 300MW in February under the Feed-in-Tariff, a scheme that allows users to generate their own electricity to sell to the grid, may support Malaysia’s green targets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• framework
• network