grate

Etymology 1

From Middle English grate, from a Medieval Latin grāta, from a Latin word for a hurdle; or Italian grata, from Latin cratis.

noun

1. A horizontal metal grill through which water, ash, or small objects can fall, while larger objects cannot.
   The grate stopped the sheep from escaping from their field.
2. A frame or bed, or kind of basket, of iron bars, for holding fuel while burning.
3. (historical) A grapper, a metal ring on a lance behind the grip.
   Lances (only shown at Stoke D'Abernon) were commonly made of ash, about 13 feet long. A ring of metal (grate or grapper) was fastened to the shaft and during a fight[…] 1969, Herbert Walter Macklin, Monumental Brasses
   […] and a heavy metal ring, called the grate or graper, fastened to the shaft below the grip. The grate rested against the knight's breastplate and relieved the hand and arm of the full shock of contact. The metallic head (or socket) of the war lance was usually leaf shaped, while that of the tilting lance, at least from[…] 1980, The Encyclopedia Americana, volume 16, page 683

verb

1. (transitive) To furnish with grates; to protect with a grating or crossbars.
   to grate a window

Etymology 2

From Middle English graten, from Old French grater (“to scrape”) ( > French gratter), from Frankish *krattōn, from Proto-Germanic *krattōną. Cognate with Old High German krazzon ( > German kratzen (“to scrawl”) > Danish kradse), Icelandic krassa (“to scrawl”) and Danish kratte.

verb

1. (transitive, cooking) To shred (things, usually foodstuffs), by rubbing across a grater.
   I need to grate the cheese before the potato is cooked.
2. (intransitive) To make an unpleasant rasping sound, often as the result of rubbing against something.
   1856, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part 3 Chapter X, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling The gate suddenly grated. It was Lestiboudois; he came to fetch his spade, that he had forgotten. He recognised Justin climbing over the wall, and at last knew who was the culprit who stole his potatoes.
   Listening to his teeth grate all day long drives me mad.
   The chalk grated against the board.
3. (by extension, intransitive) To get on one's nerves; to irritate, annoy.
   She’s nice enough, but she can begin to grate if there is no-one else to talk to.
4. (by extension, transitive) To annoy.
   2015, Art Levy in Florida Trend, Roland Martin is a Florida 'Icon' one of the issues that's kind of grating me a little bit is weed control.

Etymology 3

From Latin grātus (“agreeable”).

adj

1. (obsolete) Serving to gratify; agreeable.
   Coho or Coffee[…]however ingrate or insapory it seems at first, it becomes grate and delicious enough by custom. 1677, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels into Africa and Asia the Great

Etymology 4

adj

1. Obsolete spelling of great
   c. 1815, Mary Woody, A true account of Nayomy Wise He promisd her a grate reward