Microplane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A kitchen tool with a very fine surface used to grate or zest foods such as citrus or cheese
2. A hand-held device with a sharp, finely textured blade designed to shred ingredients into small pieces
3. A specialized grating implement used mainly to create tiny shreds or zest from fruits, vegetables, or spices

Etymology: The name is a plain compound: "micro-", from Greek "mikros" meaning "small", joined to "plane", a tool for shaving wood. The kitchen gadget takes its name from the woodworking tool, whose blade produces fine shavings, and the prefix signals that its teeth are far finer than those of an ordinary grater. The tool itself came out of woodworking. Its design was adapted from the rasps and fine files used by carpenters and luthiers, and the "micro" prefix was attached to set it apart from the coarser planes and graters already familiar in kitchens. The word therefore describes a shaving instrument at miniature scale.