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

They were all for clean energy, many to address climate change, and include investments in new battery plants, upgrades for the electrical grid and initiatives to take carbon out of the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Where a grid has spare capacity and the customer is locked into paying for what it reserved, fixed costs can be spread across more consumption, holding rates down.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Shortly after completing it, he blocked Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri and the stewards imposed a three-place grid penalty.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The White House persuaded tech companies and utilities to pledge to avoid shifting data-center grid costs onto regular households.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

He could see the grid, the intersecting lines and triangles, glowing green on the floor.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Higher rates can raise the cost of every dollar borrowed to build data centers, develop specialized chips or upgrade power grids.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

This space weather can interfere with satellites, communications, navigation systems, and electrical power grids on Earth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

With the artificial-intelligence boom straining power grids, Beijing is betting on large-scale battery storage banks the size of shipping containers to help manage the load.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

“Just as railroads, electric grids, and the Internet reshaped prior economic eras, we believe SpaceX is building the foundational platform for the next generation of industrial capacity,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

He broke open the vacuum chamber and pulled off the tungsten grids by hand.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• framework
• network