Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GRAL'LA-TO-RY, a. [L. grallatorius.]

Denoting fowls which are waders, having long naked legs.

GRAL'LIC, a. [L. grallæ, stilts, crutches.]

Stilted; an epithet given to an order of fowls having long legs, naked above the knees, which fit them for wading in water.

GRAM, a. [Sax. gram; Sw. gram, angry; Dan. gram, envious, grudging.]

GRAM, n. [Fr. gramme, from Gr. γραμμα, whence γραμμαριον, the twenty fourth part of an ounce.]

In the new system of French weights, the unity of weights. It is the weight of a quantity of distilled water equal to a cubic centimeter, or 18 grains 841/10000 French, or du poids de marc, equal to 15.444 grains troy. Lunier.

GRA'MER-CY,

for Fr. grand-merci, is not in use. It formerly was used to express obligation. Spenser.

GRA-MIN'E-AL, a. [or GRA-MIN'E-OUS; L. gramineus, from gramen, grass.]

Grassy; like or pertaining to grass. Gramineous plants are those which have simple leaves, a jointed stem, a husky calyx, termed glume, and a single seed. This description however includes several sorts of corn, as well as grass. Milne.

GRAM-IN-I-FOL'IOUS, a.

Bearing leaves like grass.

GRAM-IN-IV'O-ROUS, a. [L. gramen, grass, and voro, to eat.]

Feeding or subsisting on grass. The ox and all the bovine genus of quadrupeds are graminivorous animals; so also the horse or equine genus.

GRAM'MAR, a.

Belonging to or contained in grammar; as, a grammar rule.

GRAM'MAR, n. [Fr. grammaire; L. grammatica; Gr. γραμματικη, from γραμμα, a letter, from γραφω, to write. See Grave.]

1. In practice, the art of speaking or writing a language with propriety or correctness, according to established usage. As a science, grammar treats of the natural connection between ideas and words, and develops the principles which are common to all languages.
2. A system of general principles and of particular rules for speaking or writing a language; or a digested compilation of customary forms of speech in a nation; also, a book containing such principles and rules.
3. Propriety of speech. To write grammar, we must write according to the practice of good writers and speakers. [“Grammar is a term borrowed from the Greek, and used with little variation by the Latins, French, English, &c.; but the Welsh are under no necessity of borrowing from others, while they have so significant a term of their own as llythyreg.” The Rev. John Walters's Diss. on the Welsh Language, Cowbridge, 1771, 8vo. p. 32. – E. H. B.]

GRAM'MAR, v.i.

To discourse according to the rules of grammar. [Obs.]

GRAM-MA'RI-AN, n.

1. One versed in grammar, or the construction of languages; a philologist.
2. One who teaches grammar.

GRAM'MAR-LESS, a.

Destitute of grammar.

GRAM'MAR-SCHOOL, n.

A school in which the learned languages are taught. By learned languages, we usually mean the Latin and Greek; but others may be included.

GRAM'MA-RYE, n.

Sorcery.

GRAM-MAT'IC-AL, a. [Fr.]

1. Belonging to grammar; as, a grammatical rule.
2. According to the rules of grammar. We say, a sentence is not grammatical; the construction is not grammatical.

GRAM-MAT'IC-AL-LY, adv.

According to the principles and rules of grammar; as, to write or speak grammatically.

GRAM-MAT'IC-AL-NESS, n.

Quality of being grammatical, or according to the rules of grammar.

GRAM-MAT'IC-AS-TER, n. [L.]

A low grammarian; a pretender to a knowledge of grammar; a pedant. Petty.

GRAM-MAT'I-CIZE, v.t.

To render grammatical. Johnson.

GRAM-MAT'I-CIZ-ED, pp.

Rendered grammatical.

GRAM'MA-TIST, n.

A pretender to a knowledge of grammar. H. Tooke.

GRAM'MA-TITE, n.

See TREMOLITE.

GRAM'PLE, n.

A crab-fish.

GRAM'PUS, n. [L. grampoise; Fr. grandpoisson, contracted. Spelman.]

A fish of the cetaceous order, and genus Delphinus. This fish grows to the length of twenty-five feet, and is remarkably thick in proportion to its length. The nose is flat and turns up at the end. It has thirty teeth in each jaw. The spout-hole is on the top of the neck. The color of the back is black; the belly is of a snowy whiteness; and on each shoulder is a large white spot. This fish is remarkably voracious.