Reading Theme:
Grill: Meanings, Examples, and Common Mistakes (3 meaning)
Meaning 1：cook on a grill (grill)
grill
/ɡrɪl/
vt./n.
To cook food by putting it on a metal frame over or next to a strong heat source, like fire or charcoal.
cook on a grill
➕
/kʊk ɒn ə ɡrɪl/
vt./n.
To cook food by placing it on a metal frame with parallel bars, typically over an open flame or hot coals.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old French 'grille' (gridiron), Latin 'craticula' (small grid).
💡 Mnemonic
Grill: 'Grid' of bars. Cook food or drill with questions — both involve heat or pressure.
📖 Example
We decided to grill some burgers and corn on the cob for our weekend family barbecue.
We decided to grill some burgers and corn on the cob for our weekend family barbecue.
🔗 Collocations
grill steaks – to cook thick cuts of meat on a grill
grill vegetables – to cook vegetables on a grill
grill over charcoal – to cook using charcoal as the heat source
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
🌱 Derivatives
📖 Cultural Story
Originally from Latin 'craticula' via Old French, referring to a gridiron for cooking. The verb sense 'to interrogate harshly' emerged in the 19th century, likening intense questioning to cooking on a hot grill.
Meaning 2：interrogate harshly (grill)
grill
/ɡrɪl/
vt./n.
To ask someone a lot of questions in a forceful and thorough way, often for a long time.
interrogate harshly
➕
/ɪnˈterəɡeɪt hɑːrʃli/
vt./n.
To question someone intensely and relentlessly, often in a hostile or suspicious manner.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
After the mistake was found, the manager grilled the new employee for nearly an hour about every single detail of the project.
After the mistake was found, the manager grilled the new employee for nearly an hour about every single detail of the project.
🔗 Collocations
grill someone about something – to question someone aggressively about a specific topic
get grilled – to be subjected to intense questioning
grill a suspect – to interrogate a person suspected of wrongdoing
🔄 Synonyms
interrogate (v.) – to question someone formally and thoroughly, especially in a legal context
cross-examine (v.) – to question a witness in a court of law to challenge their testimony
quiz (v.) – to ask someone questions to test their knowledge
🚫 Antonyms
🌱 Derivatives
grilling (n.) – an act of intense questioning
Meaning 3：metal grid for cooking (grill)
grill
/ɡrɪl/
vt./n.
A metal frame with bars across it that is used for cooking food over a fire or other heat source.
metal grid for cooking
➕
/ˈmetl ɡrɪd fɔːr ˈkʊkɪŋ/
vt./n.
A cooking surface consisting of a framework of parallel metal bars, used over a fire or heat source.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Before we start cooking, make sure you clean the grill properly to get rid of any old food bits.
Before we start cooking, make sure you clean the grill properly to get rid of any old food bits.
🔗 Collocations
charcoal grill – a grill that uses charcoal as fuel
gas grill – a grill that uses propane or natural gas
clean the grill – to remove residue from the cooking surface
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser