▪ I. grater1
(ˈgreɪtə(r))
Also 4 -our, 5 -ere.
[a. OF. grateor, gratour (13th c. in Godef., of a person), f. grater to grate v.1
In sense 1 possibly (in spite of the form) a. OF. *gratoir (mod.F. grattoir, first in Cotgr. 1611) or *gratoire (found only in 16th c.).]
1. An instrument with a rough indented surface used for grating or rasping; esp. a kitchen utensil, having a rasping surface formed by punching holes which raise protuberances, and used for grating ginger, nutmegs, etc.
| 1390–1 Earl Derby's Exped. (Camden) 24 Pro j gratour. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. viii. 185 People..muche like vnto dogges, with mouthes roughe like a grater. 1577 Frampton Joyful News iii. (1596) 103 They..grate it in certeyne Graters, which are made of Needles. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 5 The Common Fly: her eyes are most neatly dimpled with innumerable little cavities like a small grater or thimble. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece i. ii. 154 Take raw Carrots and scrape them clean, grate them with a Grater. 1824 Southey Bk. of Ch. (1841) 183 They bound chains round the body, which eat into the flesh; or fastened graters upon the breast and back. 1872 C. W. Heaton Exper. Chem. iv. iii. 311 Rasp some potatoes on a grater. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Grater (Book⁓binding), an iron instrument used by the forwarder in rubbing the backs of sewed books after pasting. |
† 2. A scraper. Obs.
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong., Vn racloir, a grater, a scraper. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 315/2 A Dough scrape, or a Grater..with this they scrape and cleanse the sides and bottom of the Kneading Trough from the Dough that sticks to it. |
b. Her. A glazier's tool figured in the arms of the Glaziers' Company.
| 1780 Edmondson Her. II. Gloss. 1847 Gloss. Herald., Grater or Glaziers' Nippers, called also Grazier, or Grosing-iron. |
† 3. One who or that which grates; chiefly fig. said of a person (or thing) that performs some harassing, exhausting, or ‘wearing’ process. Obs.
| 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wulcker 610/3 Scarifactor et Scarifactrix, a gratere. 1549 Chaloner Erasm. Folly T ij a, I requyre you not to be overscrupulous graters of the bare woords. 1566 in Harington Nugæ Ant. 145 Those that be the great graters for gayne and profitt. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xxxvii. (1887) 145 Repulse in great hope is a perillous grater. 1611 Cotgr., Racleur, a scraper, a rasper, a grater. 1628 Earle Microcosm., Graue Diuine (Arb.) 24 He is no base Grater of his Tythes, and will not wrangle for the odde Egge. |
▪ II. † grater2 Obs.
[Perh. an extension of grate n.1, or possibly merely an error.]
App. a kind of wooden grating or hurdle.
| 1598 Florio, Aggratticare,..to make grater-wise, to make like a hurdle, to hurdle. ? 1623 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. (1630) iii. 103/2 Washing boules, and beetles went to wracke, old graters and stooles were turn'd to ashes, mouse⁓traps and tinder boxes came to light. |