grate

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grate1 / grāt/ • v. 1. [tr.] reduce (something, esp. food) to small shreds by rubbing it on a grater: peel and roughly grate the carrots | [as adj.] (grated) grated cheese. 2. [intr.] make an unpleasant rasping sound: the hinges of the door grated. ∎  (grate against) rub against something with such a sound: his helmet grated against the top of the door. ∎  have an irritating effect: he had a juvenile streak that grated on her nerves.grate2 • n. 1. the recess of a fireplace or furnace. ∎  a metal frame confining fuel in a fireplace or furnace.2. a grating.

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