grate

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 a metal frame for holding the wood or coal in a FIREPLACE: A huge log fire was burning in the grate. 2 (AmE) = DRAIN verb 1 [VN] to rub food against a GRATER in order to cut it into small pieces: grated apple / carrot / cheese * Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the tomatoes. 2 [V] ~ (on / with sb) to irritate or annoy sb: Her voice really grates on me. * It grated with him when people implied he wasn't really British. * He kept staring at her and it began to grate on her nerves. 3 when two hard surfaces grate as they rub together, they make a sharp unpleasant sound; sb can also make one thing grate against another: [V] The rusty hinges grated as the gate swung back. * [VN] He grated his knife across the plate.