He cheweth grain and licorice, To smellen sweet.
Chaucer.
Against the grain, against or across the direction of the fibers;
hence, against one's wishes or tastes; unwillingly; unpleasantly;
reluctantly; with difficulty. Swift. Saintsbury.-- A grain of
allowance, a slight indulgence or latitude a small allowance. -- Grain
binder, an attachment to a harvester for binding the grain into
sheaves. -- Grain colors, dyes made from the coccus or kermes insect.
-- Grain leather. (a) Dressed horse hides. (b) Goat, seal, and other
skins blacked on the grain side for women's shoes, etc. -- Grain moth
(Zoˆl.), one of several small moths, of the family TineidÊ (as Tinea
granella and Butalis cerealella), whose larvÊ devour grain in
storehouses. -- Grain side (Leather), the side of a skin or hide from
which the hair has been removed; -- opposed to flesh side. -- Grains of
paradise, the seeds of a species of amomum. -- grain tin, crystalline
tin ore metallic tin smelted with charcoal. -- Grain weevil (Zoˆl.), a
small red weevil (Sitophilus granarius), which destroys stored wheat
and other grain, by eating out the interior. -- Grain worm (Zoˆl.), the
larva of the grain moth. See grain moth, above. -- In grain, of a fast
color; deeply seated; fixed; innate; genuine. "Anguish in grain."
Herbert. -- To dye in grain, to dye of a fast color by means of the
coccus or kermes grain [see Grain, n., 5]; hence, to dye firmly; also,
to dye in the wool, or in the raw material. See under Dye.
The red roses flush up in her cheeks . . . Likce crimson dyed in
grain.
Spenser.
-- To go against the grain of (a person), to be repugnant to; to vex,
irritate, mortify, or trouble.
Grain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Grained (grnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Graining.]
1. To paint in imitation of the grain of wood, marble, etc.