ingrain

[ verb in-greyn; adjective, noun in-greyn ]

/ verb ɪnˈgreɪn; adjective, noun ˈɪnˌgreɪn /

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See synonyms for: ingrain / ingrained on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to implant or fix deeply and firmly, as in the nature or mind.

adjective

ingrained; firmly fixed.

(of fiber or yarn) dyed in a raw state, before being woven or knitted.

made of fiber or yarn so dyed: ingrain fabric.

(of carpets) made of ingrain yarn and so woven as to show a different pattern on each side; reversible.

noun

yarn, wool, etc., dyed before manufacture.

an ingrain carpet.

OTHER WORDS FOR ingrain

1 infuse, inculcate, imbue.

See synonyms for ingrain on Thesaurus.com

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Also en·grain

[en-greyn] /ɛnˈgreɪn/ (for defs. 1, 2) .

Origin of ingrain

First recorded in 1760–70; originally phrase (dyed) in grain (i.e., with kermes)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ingrain in a sentence

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lack of a gun is not likely to be a major problem for close-in air-to-air dogfights against other jets.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But those weapons are of limited utility, especially during close-in fights.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I have not had the first morsel of food prepared from this grain offered me since I reached the shores of Europe.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Even if poverty were gone, the flail could still beat hard enough upon the grain and chaff of humanity.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The small grain crops had been burned to a crisp, and disaster hung over the land.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The delicious soft rains set in early, promising a good grain year.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for ingrain

ingrain

engrain

verb (ɪnˈɡreɪn) (tr)

to impress deeply on the mind or nature; instil

archaic to dye into the fibre of (a fabric)

adjective (ˈɪnˌɡreɪn)

variants of ingrained

(of woven or knitted articles, esp rugs and carpets) made of dyed yarn or of fibre that is dyed before being spun into yarn

noun (ˈɪnˌɡreɪn)

a carpet made from ingrained yarn
such yarn

Word Origin for ingrain

C18: from the phrase dyed in grain dyed with kermes through the fibre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ingrain

OTHER WORDS FOR ingrain

Origin of ingrain

Words related to ingrain

How to use ingrain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ingrain

engrain

Word Origin for ingrain