grids

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of grid.

   The architect compared several layout grids before settling on a final plan.

   Power companies link regional grids so electricity can flow where it is needed.

   Note

   One spelling does two jobs. Grids is both this plural and the verb's present tense. Placement tells them apart: after a number or determiner (two grids, these grids) it is the noun, and after a singular subject it is the verb. The plural covers every kind of grid, from crossword squares and map reference systems to electricity networks and a race's starting order, so the word in front often specifies which: layout grids, regional grids.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of grid.

   The mapping software grids the terrain into equal squares before analysis.

   An artist often grids a reference image to copy its proportions accurately.

   Note

   A noun put to work as a verb: to grid something is to mark it with a grid, assign it a reference grid, or enter it into one. It is transitive, so the object is the thing being divided or plotted: the software grids the terrain, an artist grids a photograph. Unlike the plural noun, it follows a singular subject directly.

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