gridiron
noun
Did you know?
Modern gridirons are covered in football players when they're in use, but the original gridirons were more likely to be covered with meat or fish; they were metal gratings used for broiling food over an open fire. In Middle English, such a grating was called a gredil, a root that gave modern English both gridiron and griddle. How did gridiron become associated with football? That happened in the late 1800s, when a white grid pattern was added to football fields to help enforce new rules about how many yards a team had to gain to keep possession of the ball. From high up in the stands, the lines made the playing fields look like cooking gridirons.
Examples of gridiron in a Sentence
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Mar. 2024
Glen Powell is taking his pigskin from the beaches of San Diego to the gridirons of the South.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
Francis also spent time on the gridiron with the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington (Generals).
—Jim Varsallone, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Morgan’s ability to flip the switch on the gridiron led to 390 tackles, 7 sacks, 17 pass breakups and 5 interceptions during his career.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2024
Of course, competition also bonds the boys — in activities that span beyond the gridiron, too!
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024
The nail-biter of a game saw Lions quarterback Jared Goff dominate the gridiron, completing 22 of 27 pass attempts while throwing for one touchdown.
—Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 15 Jan. 2024
Thus, the first-ever Pop-Tarts Bowl was born, and Strawberry the edible mascot graced the gridiron.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 29 Dec. 2023
Purdy’s meteoric rise — from dead-last draft pick to MVP finalist and Super Bowl signal caller — laid bare the nearly impossible task of predicting future skill on the gridiron in evaluations that often make or break careers.
—Jason Abbruzzese, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gridiron.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gridiron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gridiron. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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gridiron
noun
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