Definition

1. Noun (Uncountable):

   • A type of coarse, unsifted whole-wheat flour. It is made by grinding the entire wheat kernel, including the bran and germ.

2. Noun (Proper):

   • A surname. Notably borne by:

     • Martha Graham (1893–1991), a highly influential American modern dancer and choreographer.
     • Billy Graham (1918–2018), a prominent American evangelical Christian preacher and mass evangelist.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Flour):

  • For a healthier loaf, try using graham instead of refined white flour.
  • The recipe calls for two cups of graham to make the crackers.

• Noun (Proper Name):

  • The dance technique developed by Martha Graham revolutionized modern dance.
  • Evangelist Billy Graham preached to millions of people around the world.

Advanced Usage

• "Graham" as a Modifier: The term is often used attributively to describe products made with this flour.
  • She bought graham crackers for the pie crust.
  • We enjoyed a bowl of graham cereal.

Variants and Related Words

• Graham Flour: The full term for the flour, often used interchangeably with "graham."
• Whole-wheat Flour: A close synonym, though "graham" traditionally implies a coarser grind.
• Wholemeal Flour: The common British English term for similar whole-wheat flour.

Synonyms

• For the flour: whole-wheat flour, entire-wheat flour.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The meaning is entirely dependent on context. In a culinary context, "graham" refers to the flour. In discussions of dance, religion, or biography, it is a proper surname referring to specific historical figures.
• The flour meaning is always uncountable. The name meaning is a proper noun.

Noun

1. flour made by grinding the entire wheat berry including the bran; (`whole meal flour' is British usage)
2. United States dancer and choreographer whose work was noted for its austerity and technical rigor (1893-1991)
3. United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)