Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GRATE, v.t.¹

To furnish with grates; to make fast with cross bars.

GRATE, v.t.² [Fr. gratter, It. grattare, to scratch; Dan. grytter, to grate, to break; Sp. grieta, a scratch, a crevice; W. rhathu, to rub off, to strip, to clear; rhathell, a rasp. See the Shemitic גרד, חרט, חרת and קרד. Class Rd, No. 38, 58, 62, 81. If g is a prefix, this word coincides with L. rado. See Cry.]

1. To rub, as a body with a rough surface against another body; to rub one thing against another, so as to produce a harsh sound; as, to grate the teeth.
2. To wear away in small particles, by rubbing with any thing rough or indented; as, to grate a nutmeg.
3. To offend; to fret; to vex; to irritate; to mortify; as, harsh words grate the heart; they are grating to the feelings; harsh sounds grate the ear.
4. To make a harsh sound by rubbing or the friction of rough bodies. Milton.

GRAT'ED, pp.

1. Rubbed harshly; worn off by rubbing.
2. Furnished with a grate; as, grated windows.

GRATE'FUL, a. [from L. gratus. See Grace.]

1. Having a due sense of benefits; kindly disposed toward one from whom a favor has been received; willing to acknowledge and repay benefits; as, a grateful heart.
2. Agreeable; pleasing; acceptable; gratifying; as, a grateful present; a grateful offering. 3 Pleasing to the taste; delicious; affording pleasure; as, food or drink grateful to the appetite. Now golden fruits on loaded branches shine, / And grateful clusters swell with floods of wine. Pope.

GRATE'FULLY, adv.

1. With a due sense of benefits or favors; in a manner that disposes to kindness, in return for favors. The gift was gratefully received.
2. In a pleasing manner. Study continually furnishes something new, which may strike the imagination gratefully.

GRATE'FUL-NESS, n.

1. The quality of being grateful; gratitude.
2. The quality of being agreeable or pleasant to the mind or to the taste.

GRAT'ER, n. [See Grate.]

An instrument or utensil with a rough indented surface, for rubbing off small particles of a body; as, a grater for nutmegs.

GRAT-I-FI-CA'TION, n. [L. gratificatio, from gratificor; gratus and facio, to make.]

1. The act of pleasing, either the mind, the taste, or the appetite. We speak of the gratification of the taste or the palate, of the appetites, of the senses, of the desires, of the mind, soul or heart.
2. That which affords pleasure; satisfaction; delight. It is not easy to renounce gratifications to which we are accustomed.
3. Reward; recompense. Morton.

GRAT'I-FI-ED, pp.

Pleased; indulged according to desire.

GRAT'I-FI-ER, n.

Ono who gratifies or pleases.

GRAT'I-FY, v.t. [L. gratificor; gratus, agreeable, and facio, to make.]

1. To please; to give pleasure to; to indulge; as, to gratify the taste, the appetite, the senses, the desires, the mind, &c.
2. To delight; to please; to humor; to soothe; to satisfy; to indulge to satisfaction. For who would die to gratify a foe? Dryden.
3. To requite; to recompense.

GRAT'I-FY-ING, ppr.

1. Teasing; indulging to satisfaction.
2. adj. Giving pleasure; affording satisfaction.

GRAT'ING, or GRAT'INGS, n. [See Grate.]

A partition of bars; an open cover for the hatches of a ship, resembling lattice-work. Mar. Dict.

GRAT'ING, ppr. [See Grate.]

1. Rubbing; wearing off in particles.
2. adj. Fretting; irritating; harsh; as, grating sounds, or a grating reflection.

GRAT'ING-LY, adv.

Harshly; offensively; in a manner to irritate.

GRA'TIS, adv. [L.]

For nothing; freely; without recompense; as, to give a thing gratis; to perform service gratis.

GRAT'I-TUDE, n. [L. gratitudo, from gratus, pleasing. See Grace.]

An emotion of the heart, excited by a favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will toward a benefactor; thankfulness. Gratitude is an agreeable emotion, consisting in or accompanied with good will to a benefactor, and a disposition to make a suitable return of benefits or services, or when no return can be made, with a desire to see the benefactor prosperous and happy. Gratitude is a virtue of the highest excellence, as it implies a feeling and generous heart, and a proper sense of duty. The love of God is the sublimest gratitude. Paley.

GRA-TU'I-TOUS, a. [L. gratuitus, from gratus; Fr. gratuit; It. gratuito. See Grace.]

1. Free; voluntary; not required by justice; granted without claim or merit. We mistake the gratuitous blessings of heaven for the fruits of our own industry. L'Estrange.
2. Asserted or taken without proof; as, a gratuitous argument or affirmation.

GRA-TU'I-TOUS-LY, adv.

1. Freely; voluntarily; without claim or merit; without an equivalent or compensation; as, labor or services gratuitously bestowed.
2. Without proof; as, a principle gratuitously assumed.

GRA-TU'I-TY, n. [Fr. gratuité, from gratuit, from gratus.]

1. A free gift; a present; a donation; that which is given without a compensation or equivalent.
2. Something given in return for a favor; an acknowledgment.

GRAT'U-LATE, v.t. [L. gratulor, from gratus, pleasing, grateful; Russ. with the prefix na, nagrada, recompense; nagrajdayu, to gratify, to reward. See Grace.]

1. To express joy or pleasure to a person, on account of his success, or the reception of some good; to salute with declarations of joy; to congratulate. [The latter word is more a generally used.] To gratulate the gentle princes there. Shak.
2. To wish or express joy to. Shak.
3. To declare joy for; to mention with joy. B. Jonson.

GRAT'U-LA-TED, pp.

Addressed with expressions of joy.

GRAT'U-LA-TING, ppr.

Addressing with expressions of joy, on account of some good received.

GRAT-U-LA'TION, n. [L. gratulatio.]

An address or expression of joy to a person, on account of some good received by him; congratulation. I shall turn my wishes into gratulations. South.

GRAT'U-LA-TO-RY, a.

Expressing gratulation; congratulatory.