noun
sand
sand
noun
1
Loose grains of rock, finer than gravel but coarser than silt, found on beaches and in deserts.
"The children built a castle out of wet sand near the shoreline."
2
A pale beige colour resembling that of typical sand.
"She painted the bedroom walls a soft sand colour."
3
Personal courage or grit.
"It took real sand to stand up to the whole room like that."
verb
1
To smooth or clean a surface by rubbing it with sandpaper or an abrasive.
"He sanded the tabletop before applying the varnish."
How to Use Sand
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFine loose grains of rock found on beaches and deserts — or, as a verb, to smooth wood with an abrasive.
Common pairings
grain of sand
sand dune
sand a surface down
Word Forms
sanded past tense, sands plural, sands singular
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The children built a castle out of wet _____ near the shoreline.
Etymology
From Old English sand, from an ancient Germanic root meaning the same, related to German Sand and Dutch zand.