grid

American  

[grid] / grɪd /

noun

• grids
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• gridded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of grid

First recorded in 1830–40; short for gridiron

Explanation

A grid is a network of intersecting parallel lines, whether real or imaginary. Most American streets are laid out in a grid pattern, meaning the streets intersect at right angles and form a pattern of squares when viewed from above. You've probably seen a map grid, the uniform lines drawn on a map that allow you to pinpoint a particular location. Grid can also refer to a physical network of sorts, not necessarily made of straight or parallel lines. You may be familiar with the high voltage electrical cables that carry power throughout the country, known as the national grid. A grid can also be a device made up of intersecting metal bars that you use when grilling food.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grid grids

Britain's George Russell will start from the back of the grid in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The upgrades will provide additional power to the grid that is roughly equivalent to building a new large reactor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“The AI buildout is colliding with a grid that cannot deliver power fast enough,” Morgan Stanley’s Andrew Percoco wrote in a separate report on Tuesday.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

State renewable-energy plans and the replacement of aging or storm-damaged grid equipment have all played a role in recent years, according to research from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

For someone used to being off the grid, the attention on me feels a little unnerving.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Rather than arranging atoms only in a line, they hope to study grids of atoms as well.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

In December 2025, Ofgem approved a £28bn investment to improve the electricity and gas grids in Great Britain to strengthen energy supplies and protect customers against volatile energy prices.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

One class of companies that stands to benefit from the crunch are powered shell providers, or companies that can repurpose their power grids to build data centers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

There are also catastrophic scenarios that fall short of extinction, such as massive cyberattacks that take down power grids or financial systems and lead to a breakdown in the human social order.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

This failure was expected to cause disruptions in air travel, banking, industry, electric grids, phone systems, and other critical services necessary for daily living at the turn of the century.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• framework
• network