gridiron
noun
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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
Vic Verbalaitis, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2024
Pitbull will look to bring his mojo for success to the school as it’s been tough sledding for FIU on the gridiron.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2024
The Texans' full squad, including quarterback C.J. Stroud, is officially back on the gridiron for training camp.
—Shafaq Patel, Axios, 19 July 2024
As a two-year starter on the gridiron, Jenkins amassed 1,714 yards receiving on 85 catches with 23 touchdowns in 23 games.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for gridiron 
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 Aug. 2024.
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gridiron
noun
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