Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To fix deeply or indelibly, as in the mind.
  • transitive verb Archaic To dye or stain into the fiber of.
  • adjective Deep-seated; ingrained.
  • adjective Made of predyed fibers; thoroughly dyed.
  • adjective Made of fiber or yarn dyed before weaving. Used especially of rugs.
  • noun Yarn or fiber dyed before manufacture.
  • noun An ingrain rug or carpet.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Dyed with grain or kermes. See grain, 11.
  • Dyed in the yarn or thread before manufacture: said of a textile fabric.
  • Belonging to the fabric from the beginning; imparted to it in the thread or yarn: said of a color used in dyeing.
  • noun A yarn or fabric dyed with fast colors before manufacture.
  • noun A quarter of a chaldron of coals given in excess of the measure when the total exceeds 5 chaldrons.
  • To dye with grain or the scarlet dye produced by the kermes-insect; hence, from the permanence and excellence of this dye, to dye in any deep, permanent, or enduring color.
  • To dye in the grain or raw material before manufacture.
  • Hence To work into the natural texture; imbue thoroughly; impregnate the whole substance or nature of, as the mind.
  • To lay on, as color.
  • Synonyms Ingrained, Inbred, Inborn, etc. See inherent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An ingrain fabric, as a carpet.
  • adjective obsolete Dyed with grain, or kermes.
  • adjective Dyed before manufacture, -- said of the material of a textile fabric; hence, in general, thoroughly inwrought; forming an essential part of the substance.
  • adjective a double or two-ply carpet.
  • adjective a three-ply carpet.
  • transitive verb To dye with or in grain or kermes.
  • transitive verb To dye in the grain, or before manufacture.
  • transitive verb To work into the natural texture or into the mental or moral constitution of; to stain; to saturate; to imbue; to infix deeply.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To make something deeply part of something else, either literally or figuratively.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb thoroughly work in
  • verb produce or try to produce a vivid impression of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Variant of engrain.]

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Examples

  • Almost the best of modern inventions for inexpensive wall-coverings are found in what are called the ingrain papers.

    Principles of Home Decoration With Practical Examples Candace Wheeler 1875

  • She did not loathe the shiny "quartered oak" dining-room pieces -- her father's venture in an opulent moment -- nor the dingy pine bedroom sets, nor even the worn "ingrain" carpets, as she did these precious relics of her grandmother's home.

    One Woman's Life Robert Herrick 1903

  • But I agree with what Boris Becker said in that Murray's got to make some technical changes to "ingrain" an attacking style of forehand as opposed to a more loopy defensive shot.

    Tennis-X.com :: Xtreme Tennis News contact@tennis-x.com 2010

  • He's got to "ingrain" a different technique so that it's second nature and that can only come by consistently playing attacking tennis in all his matches.

    Tennis-X.com :: Xtreme Tennis News 2010

  • But I agree with what Boris Becker said in that Murray's got to make some technical changes to "ingrain" an attacking style of forehand as opposed to a more loopy defensive shot.

    Tennis-X.com :: Xtreme Tennis News 2010

  • He's got to "ingrain" a different technique so that it's second nature and that can only come by consistently playing attacking tennis in all his matches.

    Tennis-X.com :: Xtreme Tennis News contact@tennis-x.com 2010

  • So as we understand it we have our own morals that we have tried to ingrain into society but a diety is getting the credit.

    Harlan Ellison on God 2009

  • One facet that wasn't a focus at the Festival is how to ingrain games more deeply within mainstream education.

    Marketing 2010

  • One facet that wasn't a focus at the Festival is how to ingrain games more deeply within mainstream education.

    head games 2010

  • Or it might just be that every new habit takes a bit of time to ingrain itself into our conscious.

    How strange it feels to call a woman a ‘woman’ « Digital immigrant 2009

Comments

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  • rain degerunded?

    May 27, 2011

  • More like a discombobulated gerund.

    May 28, 2011