granary

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A building or storehouse where grain is kept after it has been harvested.

   Grammar: Countable noun; can be used in the plural, e.g. 'granaries'.

   Patterns

   • store grain in a granary
   • a granary full of wheat

   The farmers stored the wheat in the granary.

   The old granary was converted into a house.

   Rats had gotten into the granary and eaten some of the corn.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A region that produces a large amount of grain, especially for export to other areas.

   Grammar: Countable noun; often used in phrases like 'the granary of the region'.

   Patterns

   • the granary of a region
   • a granary for the country

   The Midwest is often called the granary of the United States.

   Ukraine has long been known as the granary of Europe.

   This valley serves as the granary for the surrounding mountain villages.

Word forms

Common combinations

store grain in a granary

They store grain in a granary to keep it dry.

the granary of Europe

Ukraine is often called the granary of Europe.

a granary full of wheat

The granary was full of wheat after the harvest.

Synonyms and how they differ

silo

A silo is a tall tower for storing grain, often made of concrete or metal; a granary is usually a building or room.

barn

A barn is a farm building for animals or hay; a granary is specifically for grain.

Commonly confused: granary or granite?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “granary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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