the height of the ground on which something stands
"the base of the tower was below grade"
a variety of cattle produced by crossbreeding with a superior breed
"The farmer decided to sell his herd as grade beef because they were raised from crossbred cows rather than pure stock."
A rating.
"The teacher gave me an excellent grade on my final essay."
In plain English: A grade is a letter or number that shows how well you did on a test or assignment.
"She got an A on her math grade."
Usage: As a noun referring to a rating, grade indicates a level of quality or performance, such as receiving an A on a test or describing food as high grade. Use it specifically for evaluations rather than for physical steps like stairs or academic majors.
level to the right gradient
"The road suddenly leveled out as we reached a gentle grade that allowed our truck to climb without strain."
determine the grade of or assign a grade to
"The teacher will grade all the essays by tomorrow afternoon."
To assign scores to the components of an academic test.
"The teacher decided not to grade any essays until she had finished reviewing the multiple-choice answers."
In plain English: To grade something means to give it a score or mark based on how well it was done.
"The teacher will grade all the essays by Friday afternoon."
Usage: Use the verb grade to mean assigning a score or evaluation to work, such as giving a letter mark on an exam. Do not use it to describe physically grading food or ranking items by quality unless you are specifically referring to their rank in that context.
The word "grade" entered English from Middle French, where it originally meant a step or degree. Its ultimate roots lie in Latin and Proto-Indo-European languages, which used similar terms to describe walking or going.