grain

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Symbol gr. Adverting to the seed of wheat, barley, etc., the grain is a long-standing elementary unit for measuring mass, and has been used for length too. In Britain the initial entity was the barleycorn, the seed grain of barley, specifically two-rowed barley.

mass The grain, originally the UK troy grain, is the common elemental unit of the avoirdupois, troy and apothecaries' scales in the UK and the USA. Defined originally by barley grains ‘neither small nor large and taken from the middle of the ear’
[Connor R. D. The Weights and Measures of England (London: HMSO, 1987)] the unit of modern times differed minutely between the UK and the USA until the agreed international standard
[Nature Vol. 183, 80-1 (1959)] was implemented in 1959 (though in UK not exclusively until 1964).

The grain was officially abolished for the UK in 1985.The UK Weights and Measures Act 1985 explicitly excluded from use for trade the bushell, cental, chain, drachm, dram, fluid drachm, furlong, grain, hundredweight, ounce apoth., peck, pennyweight, quarter, quintal, rood, scruple, stone, ton, the square mile, cubic inch, cubic foot, cubic yard, and the term ‘metric ton’. However, the legal status of the bushell, fluid drachm, and peck had been repealed, along with all apothecaries' units and troy units other than ounce, by Order in 1970. Besides the remaining BI units and the simple SI units, the Act included the kilometre, decimetre, centimetre and millimetre, the square metre, square decimetre, square centimetre and square millimetre, the hectare and decare along with the are, the cubic metre, cubic decimetre and cubic centimetre, the hectolitre decilitre, centilitre and millilitre, the tonne (or ‘metric tonne’), kilogram, hectogram, milligram and carat (metric). All had been included in the similar Act of 1963, but with some variation of name: -gram was -gramme, decare was dekare, the tonne appeared only as metric ton.

Internat, BI, US-C, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc., 1959 64.798 91 mg (0.323 994 55 metric carat of 200 mg). prev Within 0.01% of the above for centuries; see pound for details.

History

The avoirdupois scale (see ounce and hundredweight) has a pound of 7 000 grains = 16 oz of 437.5 gr; both the troy and the apothecaries' scales have an ounce of 480 grains, but a pound of only 12 ounces, giving 5 760 grains to the pound. The latter two scales differ in their intermediate subdivision. Comparative values across the three scales are shown in Table 21.

weight, force See gravitational system.

Photography:

1. Relative size of the particles forming a photographic image, expressed in terms of fine-grain or coarse-grain images.

2. Flaws in a photograph caused by excessive enlarging.

Printing: direction in which most fibers in paper run as a result of the papermaking process. Paper tears more easily with the grain than against the grain, and when the shape of paper is affected by moisture, or by a lack of humidity, it changes more in the direction of the grain. For some types of paper, folds made parallel to the grain will cause less damage to the paper and will be less bulky. Other types of paper must be folded against the grain.

The pages of a book or catalog turn more easily if the grain of every page runs parallel to the binding. However, advertisers often place bind-ins so that the grain of the bind-in crosses the binding, causing the magazine or catalog to tend to open at that point. This works especially well if the bind-in paper stock is heavier than that of the pages.

For offset printing, the grain should be parallel to the long edge of the printed image so that changes in the paper shape due to moisture will have less impact on the print register.

Many other rules apply to different types of paper and printing. Your printer or production manager should be consulted when choosing the appropriate paper for a job.

noun

A tiny amount: bit¹, crumb, dab¹, dash, dot, dram, drop, fragment, iota, jot, minim, mite, modicum, molecule, ort, ounce, particle, scrap¹, scruple, shred, smidgen, speck, tittle, trifle, whit. Chiefly British spot. See big/small/amount.

1. The direction, arrangement, or appearance of the fibers in wood, or the strata in stone, slate, etc.
2. The easiest cleavage direction in a stone.
3. Any small, hard particle, as of sand.
4. A unit of weight measure in the English system of units; 7,000 grains equals 1 lb; used as a measure of the weight of moisture in air.

Grain is a curious blend of the quantifiable and the subjective. It may even create an impression of more sharpness than exists: a grainy enlargement from 35 mm may look sharper than a grainless enlargement from a larger format. In conventional monochrome films, actual particles of silver make up the image; in colour films (and chromogenic monochrome films) dye clouds are formed in proportion to the silver halide image that is later bleached out.

Graininess can be quantified as granularity, using a microdensitometer trace, though differing methodologies limit the usefulness of comparison between the results achieved by different researchers: the only meaningful comparisons are between films tested under the same conditions, usually by the same laboratory. Granularity figures are normally expressed as root mean square (RMS) values of the density fluctuations over the trace.

Subjectively, some kinds of grain are simply more pleasing to the eye than others: ‘crisp’ (clearly defined) grain usually looks better than mushy. Both quantifiable and subjective qualities may be modified by film design; developer choice; exposure (more exposure means coarser grain, except with colour and chromogenic monochrome films); duration of development (more time means more grain); and agitation (more agitation means more grain).

Although grain and sharpness are related—slower films tend in general to be finer grained and sharper than faster ones—there is a trade-off between the two at any given speed: the sharpest films are rarely the finest grained, and vice versa. A slow, fine-grain film in a speed-increasing developer will normally give finer grain than a faster, coarser-grained film in a fine-grain developer.

— Roger W. Hicks

Bibliography

• also definition.
• Jacobsen, R. E. (ed.), The Manual of Photography (9th edn. 2000)

To convert from grains to:

drams (avoirdupois), multiply by .03657143.
grains (avoirdupois), multiply by 1.
grams, multiply by .0648.
ounces (avoirdupois), multiply by .002286.
pennyweight (troy), multiply by .04167.

The direction, size, arrangement, appearance, or quality of the fibers in sawn wood. Straight grain is used to describe lumber where the fibers and other longitudinal elements run parallel to the axis of the piece.

Grain represents an opulent harvest and is often symbolic of a good life.

1. any small, hard particle, e.g. a grain of sand.
2. any simple single-seeded indehiscent fruit in which the seed wall fuses with the carpel wall during development. Technically called a caryopsis, it is typical of the cereals and other grasses.
3. (in photography) any of the many particles of silver halide in a photographic emulsion. The resolution possible in the image is inversely proportional to the grain size in the emulsion.
4. any of the dried insect bodies present in dyes such as cochineal.

1. a seed, especially of a cereal plant; for best results in feeding the seed may be rolled, cracked, flaked (below).
2. the twentieth part of a scruple: 0.065 g; abbreviated gr.
3. the texture and patterned appearance of the outside of leather.
4. the size and nature of the crystals of the fluorescent salt used in intensifying screens and also the size and nature of silver halide crystals used in photographic emulsion.

• g. engorgement — see carbohydrate engorgement.
• flaked g. — grain that has been cooked and then rolled flat. The digestibility is greatly enhanced but the process is costly.
• g. fumigants — substances used to fumigate silos full of grain to kill insect pests. Use of these agents other than as recommended by the makers may lead to poisoning. See also methyl bromide.
• high-moisture g. — see moist grain storage.
• g. itch mites — see pediculoides ventricosus.
• micronized g. — heated in a dry heat then rolled.
• g. overload — see carbohydrate engorgement.
• popped g. — grain passed across a heated plate and popped like popcorn.
• g. rash — grain itch mite dermatitis.
• roasted g. — roasted in dry heat but not popped.
• g. screenings — debris from a grain batch that is removed by passing it over a screen. Has some feeding value but this varies with the mix of contents.
• g. sorghum — Sorghum bicolor (S. vulgare).
• spent g. — grain used in brewing or liquor production that has been exhausted of its carbohydrate; includes brewer's grains, distiller's grains.
• sprouted g. — see hydroponics.

• Surfaces and Finishing Materials - graining: faux bois

Dansk (Danish)
n. - korn, kerne, gran, åre, narv, sind
v. tr. - marmorere, slibe, chaprinere, opkruse, krisple
v. intr. - krystallisere sig, danne krystaller, granulere, korne, korne sig

idioms:

• a grain of    et gran, spor af
• go against the grain    være imod
• grain alcohol    ætylalkohol
• whole grain    fuldkorn

Nederlands (Dutch)
graan(soort/ -korrel), greintje, korrelig/ruw oppervlak, structuur, nerf, weefsel, kruitlading (raket), natuur/aard, scharlaken, kleur, korrelen, marmeren, aderen, vlammen, scharlaken kleuren, huiden ontharen

Français (French)
n. - céréales, grain (de maïs, de blé), grain (de sable), (fig) brin, grain (dans le bois), veines (dans une pierre), grain (dans le cuir, le papier), (Phot) grain, (Mes) grain (= 0,0648 g)
v. tr. - veiner (du bois), grainer (du cuir, du papier), marbrer, veiner
v. intr. - grainer, graneler

idioms:

• a grain of    un grain de
• grain alcohol    alcool de grain
• not a grain of    pas un grain de
• whole grain    grain entier

Deutsch (German)
n. - Korn, Getreide, Gran, Maserung, Faserverlauf, Narbung
v. - masern, körnig machen, enthaaren

idioms:

• a grain of    ein Körnchen, ein Gran
• grain alcohol    Alkohol
• not a grain of    kein Fünkchen von
• whole grain    Vollkorn

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κόκκος, σπυρί, δημητριακά, σιτηρά (κν. γεννήματα), "νερά" (κυματοειδείς αποχρώσεις) ξύλου ή υφάσματος, ψήγμα, (χαρακτηριστική) υφή, (μτφ.) μόριο, μικροποσότητα
v. - χονδροποιώ (μετατρέπω πυρίτιδα σε χόνδρους), προσδίδω κοκκώδη επιφάνεια (κν. σαγράρω)

idioms:

• a grain of    κόκκος
• go against the grain    πάω/πηγαίνω κόντρα στα νερά, είναι αντίθετα στη φύση μου
• grain alcohol    οινοπνευματώδες από δημητριακά
• whole grain    ολικής άλεσης

Italiano (Italian)
chicco, grano, venatura

idioms:

• a grain of    un pizzico di
• go against the grain    fare a malincuore
• whole grain    grano grezzo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - grão (m), cereal (m), lado (m) do pelo (em couro), fibra (f), parcela (f) mínima
v. - granular(-se), amaciar (couro), depilar (couro)

idioms:

• a grain of    um grão de
• go against the grain    a contrapelo, a contragosto
• whole grain    cereal integral

Русский (Russian)
зерно (хлебные злаки), песчинка, крупа, гран (0,0648 г), зернистость, волокно, структура, раздроблять, придавать зернистую поверхность

idioms:

• a grain of    крупица чего-л.
• go against the grain    противоречить естественному порядку вещей, действовать вразрез со своими наклонностями
• whole grain    цельнозернистый

Español (Spanish)
n. - grano, cereales, veta, fibra
v. tr. - granular, convertir en granos, alimentar con granos a los animales
v. intr. - granular, convertir en granos, alimentar con granos a los animales

idioms:

• a grain of    una pizca de, un poco de
• grain alcohol    alcohol de grano
• not a grain of    ni pizca de
• whole grain    integral, grano o cereales integrales

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ljuster, korn, gryn, frö, gnutta, gran (minsta eng. vikt), (ytas) kornighet, purpurfärg (hist.)
v. - göra kornig, narva (läder), ådra (mål.), marmorera (mål.), korna sig

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
谷物, 谷粒, 谷类, 使成粒状, 对粒面进行处理, 使深深渗入, 成粒状, 结晶

idioms:

• a grain of    一粒..., 一颗...
• go against the grain    违反某人的意愿, 格格不入
• grain alcohol    酒精, 乙醇
• whole grain    全麦

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 穀物, 穀粒, 穀類
v. tr. - 使成粒狀, 對粒面進行處理, 使深深滲入
v. intr. - 成粒狀, 結晶

idioms:

• a grain of    一粒..., 一顆...
• go against the grain    違反某人的意願, 格格不入
• grain alcohol    酒精, 乙醇
• whole grain    全麥

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 곡류, 낟알, 소량, (나무, 돌 등의) 결
v. tr. - 낟알로 만들다, 거죽을 울퉁불퉁하게 하다, 털을 없애다, (빛깔을) 물들이다
v. intr. - 낟알 모양으로 되다

idioms:

• a grain of    한 알의
• go against the grain    본심과는 달리

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 穀物, 穀粒, 粒, 木目, 繊維, ごくわずか, グレーン, 微塵, 性質
v. - 粒にする

idioms:

• a grain of    ほんの少し, 微塵の
• grain alcohol    グレインアルコール

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حبه, حبوب, ذرة, مقدار ضئيل (فعل) يحبب, يبلر, ينزع الشعر عن الجلد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮גרגיר, קורטוב, אורז, תבואה, גרעין, דגן, גוון, מידת משקל זעירה - 8460.0 גרם, מערך הסיבים, הכמות הקטנה ביותר האפשרית, מרקם העור, גביש קטן נסתר בסלע או במתכת, חיספוס של פני שטח, טבעת (עץ) שנתית‬
v. tr. - ‮עשה לגרעינים, סילק שיער מ(עורות), נתן גוון לגרעינים‬
v. intr. - ‮יצר גרעינים‬

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