grout
Americannoun
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a thin, coarse mortar poured into various narrow cavities, as masonry joints or rock fissures, to fill them and consolidate the adjoining objects into a solid mass.
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a coat of plaster for finishing a ceiling or interior wall.
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Usually grouts. lees; grounds.
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Archaic.
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coarse meal or porridge.
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grouts, groats.
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verb (used with object)
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to fill or consolidate with grout.
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to use as grout.
noun
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a thin mortar for filling joints between tiles, masonry, etc
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a fine plaster used as a finishing coat
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coarse meal or porridge
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grout
before 1150; Middle English; Old English grūt; see grits, groats, grit
Explanation
Grout is a paste or putty that you use to fill in the spaces between tiles or along the edge of a tub. When grout dries, it keeps tiles in place, and once it's sealed, it protects against moisture. An old-fashioned meaning of grout is "porridge or gruel," from the Old English gruta, "coarse meal," and a root meaning "to grind." These days you don't eat grout, but instead use it in home improvement projects, especially between floor or wall tiles. As a verb, to grout means "to apply grout."
Vocabulary lists containing grout
Top 50 Wordle Words of 2023
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Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet
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Barely Missing Everything
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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.
From the acidic brine of pickle juice to the grout between your bathroom tiles, mold can thrive in even the most inhospitable environments.
From National Geographic • Nov. 10, 2023
Founded in 1951 for those who grout tile and hang cabinets, the periodical was no match for Prince Harry’s memoir or a Stephen King novel.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2023
“They’re easier to install and remove, and tend to be much thicker, which conceals the imperfections of the wall or grout lines between existing tiles,” he adds.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2023
Critics warn that the waste could outlive the grout and seep out again in future centuries.
From New York Times • May 31, 2023
His own room was the size of our downstairs, and he had his own bathroom and tile with the grout still around it.
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
