gram

IPA/ɡræm/
KK[ɡrˈæm]IPA/ɡræm/

gram — noun

  • gramsingular
  • gramsplural

1. a basic unit of the metric system for measuring how heavy something is; one gram

1.nounA2
Definition

a basic unit of the metric system for measuring how heavy something is; one gram is 0.001 kilograms, and a single gram is roughly as heavy as a small paperclip or a raisin.

Example

The recipe calls for two hundred grams of flour, not sugar.

collocation: [number] grams of [substance]

Elena weighed the chocolate on a small kitchen scale and found it was exactly fifty grams.

Common collocations
  • [number] grams of [substance]
  • weighs [number] grams
  • contains [number] grams
  • per gram
Synonyms
  • g

    standard written symbol, used on labels and in recipes

  • metric unit

    broader term; a gram is one specific metric unit among many (liters, meters, etc.)

Grammar Patterns

[number] + grams + of + [substance]

Usage Note

The standard written symbol for the weight unit is “g” (no period) — for example, 50 g of butter. Do not confuse with “kg” (kilogram); 1 kg = 1,000 g.

Common Mistakes

I need 500 grams of rice — wait, that’s only half a gram.
I need 500 grams of rice
that’s half a kilogram.' — 1 gram = 0.001 kilograms, so 500 g = 0.5 kg, not 0.0005 kg.

2. an informal word for the social media app Instagram, where people share photos,

2.nounB1
Definition

an informal word for the social media app Instagram, where people share photos, short videos, and stories with their followers.

Example

Did you see the photos Quinn posted on the gram last night?

collocation: on the gram

Omar announced the café opening on his gram and got hundreds of likes within an hour.

Common collocations
  • on the gram
  • the gram
  • follow [someone] on the gram
  • post on the gram
Synonyms
  • IG

    the common abbreviation for Instagram, used in informal writing

  • Insta

    another slang shortening, slightly less common than “gram”

Grammar Patterns

on the gram

the gram

Usage Note

Used with the definite article (“the gram”) or a possessive (“his gram,” “her gram”). This usage is colloquial and most common in spoken English and social-media contexts.

Common Mistakes

Did you see my Gram story?
Did you see my gram story?
When used as slang for Instagram, “gram” is usually written in lowercase, not capitalized like the brand name.

3. a single photograph, short video, or piece of content that someone has posted on

3.nounB1
Definition

a single photograph, short video, or piece of content that someone has posted on Instagram — for example, a picture of a meal, a selfie, or a short clip of a pet.

Example

Haruto posted a gram of the sunset from the mountaintop that got over a thousand likes.

collocation: a gram of [subject]

Élise scrolled past a funny gram of a puppy chasing its own tail in the park.

Common collocations
  • a gram of [subject]
  • post a gram
  • [name]’s gram of
Synonyms
  • post

    general term for any social-media upload; less specific than “gram”

  • photo

    refers specifically to images, not videos or text-only posts

Grammar Patterns

a gram of [subject]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: “the gram” (with article) = the platform; “a gram” (countable) = a single piece of content on the platform. This count-noun usage is slightly less common than the platform sense.

Common Mistakes

I saw a funny gram of a cat on the gram last night.
I saw a funny gram of a cat last night.
Avoid using both senses in the same sentence; pick “on the gram” (platform) or “a gram” (post), not both.

gram — abbreviation

gram — noun combining form

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Gram (g), kilogram (kg), and milligram (mg) are all metric units of mass, differing only in scale: 1 kg = 1,000 g, and 1 g = 1,000 mg. In everyday cooking and food labeling, grams are the most common unit for medium-sized quantities (e.g., 200 g of flour), while kilograms are used for larger amounts (e.g., 5 kg of potatoes) and milligrams for tiny doses in medicine (e.g., 500 mg of pain reliever). The ounce (oz) is an imperial unit still used in the United States; one ounce equals about 28.35 grams. Learners who encounter US recipes or nutritional labels will need to convert between ounces and grams, whereas metric-based countries use grams almost exclusively. A practical rule: if a recipe lists ingredients in cups or ounces, use a conversion chart; if it uses grams, you are working in the metric system.

gram ↗kilogram ↗milligram ↗ounce ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • gram scale
  • gram weight
  • gram measurement

Adverbs

  • roughly [number] grams
  • approximately [number] grams
  • exactly [number] grams

Phrases

  • [number] grams per serving
  • [number] grams of [substance]

Prepositions

  • grams of
  • per gram

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word “gram” comes from the French “gramme,” which was adopted from the Latin “gramma” (a small weight), which itself came from the Greek “grámma” (γράμμα), meaning “something written” or “a letter.” The weight sense was coined in France in the late 18th century during the development of the metric system, drawing on the Greek root to name the new unit. The Instagram slang sense is a much later clipped form of “Instagram” (itself a blend of “instant camera” and “telegram”), emerging in the 2010s. The combining form “‐gram” (as in telegram, diagram, program) preserves the ancient Greek meaning of “something written or drawn” and entered English through scientific and technical vocabulary.