From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
grand
adj 1: of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or
scope; "an expansive lifestyle"; "in the grand manner";
"collecting on a grand scale"; "heroic undertakings"
[syn: expansive, grand, heroic]
2: of or befitting a lord; "heir to a lordly fortune"; "of
august lineage" [syn: august, grand, lordly]
3: rich and superior in quality; "a princely sum"; "gilded
dining rooms" [syn: deluxe, gilded, grand, luxurious,
opulent, princely, sumptuous]
4: extraordinarily good or great ; used especially as
intensifiers; "a fantastic trip to the Orient"; "the film was
fantastic!"; "a howling success"; "a marvelous collection of
rare books"; "had a rattling conversation about politics"; "a
tremendous achievement" [syn: fantastic, grand,
{howling(a)}, marvelous, marvellous, {rattling(a)},
terrific, tremendous, wonderful, wondrous]
5: of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or
style; "an exalted ideal"; "argue in terms of high-flown
ideals"- Oliver Franks; "a noble and lofty concept"; "a grand
purpose" [syn: exalted, elevated, sublime, grand,
high-flown, high-minded, lofty, rarefied, rarified,
idealistic, noble-minded]
6: large and impressive in physical size or extent; "the bridge
is a grand structure"
7: the most important and magnificent in adornment; "grand
ballroom"; "grand staircase"
8: used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an
eminent person; "his distinguished bearing"; "the monarch's
imposing presence"; "she reigned in magisterial beauty" [syn:
distinguished, grand, imposing, magisterial]
n 1: the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100 [syn:
thousand, one thousand, 1000, M, K, chiliad,
G, grand, thou, yard]
2: a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame;
usually supported by three legs [syn: grand piano, grand]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Grand \Grand\ (gr[a^]nd), a. [Compar. Grander
(gr[a^]nd"[~e]r); superl. Grandest.] [OE. grant, grount,
OF. grant, F. grand, fr. L. grandis; perh. akin to gravis
heavy, E. grave, a. Cf. Grandee.]
1. Of large size or extent; great; extensive; hence,
relatively great; greatest; chief; principal; as, a grand
mountain; a grand army; a grand mistake. "Our grand foe,
Satan." --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Making so bold . . . to unseal
Their grand commission. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Great in size, and fine or imposing in appearance or
impression; illustrious, dignifled, or noble (said of
persons); majestic, splendid, magnificent, or sublime
(said of things); as, a grand monarch; a grand lord; a
grand general; a grand view; a grand conception.
[1913 Webster]
They are the highest models of expression, the
unapproached
masters of the grand style. --M. Arnold.
[1913 Webster]
3. Having higher rank or more dignity, size, or importance
than other persons or things of the same name; as, a grand
lodge; a grand vizier; a grand piano, etc.
[1913 Webster]
4. Standing in the second or some more remote degree of
parentage or descent; -- generalIy used in composition;
as, grandfather, grandson, grandchild, etc.
[1913 Webster]
What cause
Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favor'd of Heaven so highly, to fall off
From their Creator. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Grand action, a pianoforte action, used in grand pianos, in
which special devices are employed to obtain perfect
action of the hammer in striking and leaving the string.
Grand Army of the Republic, an organized voluntary
association of men who served in the Union army or navy
during the civil war in the United States. The order has
chapters, called Posts, throughout the country.
Grand paunch, a glutton or gourmand. [Obs.] --Holland.
Grand pensionary. See under Pensionary.
Grand piano (Mus.), a large piano, usually harp-shaped, in
which the wires or strings are generally triplicated,
increasing the power, and all the mechanism is introduced
in the most effective manner, regardless of the size of
the instrument.
Grand relief (Sculp.), alto relievo.
Grand Seignior. See under Seignior.
Grand stand, the principal stand, or erection for
spectators, at a, race course, etc.
Grand vicar (Eccl.), a principal vicar; an ecclesiastical
delegate in France.
Grand vizier. See under Vizier.
Syn: Magnificent; sublime; majestic; dignified; elevated;
stately; august; pompous; lofty; eralted; noble.
Usage: Grand, Magnificent, Sublime. Grand, in reference to
objects of taste, is applied to that which expands the
mind by a sense of vastness and majesty; magnificent
is applied to anything which is imposing from its
splendor; sublime describes that which is awful and
elevating. A cataract is grand; a rich and varied
landscape is magnificent; an overhanging precipice is
sublime. "Grandeur admits of degrees and
modifications; but magnificence is that which has
already reached the highest degree of superiority
naturally belonging to the object in question."
--Crabb.
[1913 Webster]