coarse-grained
|coarse-grained|
🇺🇸
/ˈkɔrsˌɡreɪnd/
🇬🇧
/ˈkɔːsˌɡreɪnd/
large particles; low resolution
Etymology
'coarse-grained' is an English compound formed from 'coarse' + 'grained'. 'Coarse' meant 'rough' and 'grained' comes from 'grain' meaning 'small seed or particle'.
'coarse' developed in Middle English from Old French words meaning 'rude/rough', while 'grain' comes from Old French 'graine' and Latin 'granum' ('seed'). The past-participle form 'grained' was combined with 'coarse' in English to describe textures; later the compound was applied figuratively to scales or resolution.
Initially the compound described a literal physical texture ('having large grains'); over time it was extended figuratively to describe low-resolution or large-scale approaches and analyses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having relatively large grains or particles; not finely grained (physical/texture sense).
The sandstone is coarse-grained and you can see the individual mineral grains with the naked eye.
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Adjective 2
describing an approach, analysis, or model that works at a relatively large scale or low resolution (figurative/analytical sense).
For this stage of the project we need a coarse-grained model that captures overall trends rather than every detail.
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Last updated: 2025/12/04 03:05