Grained

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a texture that is identifiable by its particles or lines
2. Showing a surface marked by small particles or fibrous lines that create a natural texture
3. Describing an object whose exterior exhibits a finely detailed arrangement of granules or streaks

Etymology: "Grained" is the adjective built from "grain" with the suffix "-ed", describing a surface that shows a visible pattern of texture, such as wood with its fibres running through it. The "-ed" ending simply turns the noun into a description of something that has that feature. The more surprising link is that "grained" is a piecewise doublet of "corned", the older adjective used of gunpowder and salt that had been pressed into small granules. Both words grew from the same idea of a small particle, but they took different routes into English and ended up with different senses. "Corned" stayed attached to its granular sense, while "grained" moved toward the look of a surface marked with fine lines or particles.

Synonyms: textured, layered, stratified, veined, fibrous

Antonyms: smooth, uniform, flat, homogeneous, untextured