grade
UK[ɡreɪd]US[ɡreɪd]
n
a level of quality, size, importance, etc.
n
a number or letter that shows how well a student has done on a test or in a class
v
to separate things into groups according to their quality, size, etc.
v
to give a score to a student's work
Morpheme Breakdown
grad
e
grad
step, degree
e
silent vowel
Etymology
The word 'grade' entered English in the 16th century, directly from the Latin noun 'gradus', meaning 'a step, a pace, or a degree'. This Latin root is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European verb gʰredʰ-, meaning 'to walk, to go'. The core semantic logic of moving by steps or degrees transitioned seamlessly into the modern abstract meanings of a level, rank, or stage in a sequence. The verb sense, meaning to arrange in steps or levels, developed naturally from this foundational concept of progressive stages. Thus, from the literal act of walking step-by-step, the word evolved to signify any form of classification or measurement on a graduated scale.
Analysis
Structure: grad (step, degree) + e (silent vowel)
'grad' is from Latin 'gradus', meaning 'step, pace, degree'. The final 'e' is a silent vowel, often indicating a long vowel sound in the preceding syllable in English spelling.
Examples
She's in the fifth grade this year.
The restaurant serves only premium-grade beef.
Teachers need time to grade all the final exams.