Online Etymology Dictionary

grand (adj.): late 14c., grant "large, big" (early 12c. in surnames), from Anglo-French graunt and directly from Old French grant, grand (10c.) "large, tall; grown-up; great, powerful, important; strict, severe; extensive; numerous," from Latin grandis "big, great; full, abundant," also "full-grown;" figuratively "strong, powerful, weighty, severe" (perhaps cognate with Greek brenthyomai "to swagger, be haughty"). It supplanted magnus in Romanic languages; in English with a special sense of "imposing." The connotations of "noble, sublime, lofty, dignified," etc., were in Latin. As a general term of admiration, "magnificent, splendid," from 1816. Related: Grander; grandest.

The use of grand- in compounds, with the sense of "a generation older than, or younger than," is first attested c.1200, in Anglo-French graund dame "grandmother." Latin and Greek had similar usages.

Grand jury is late 15c. Grand piano from 1797. The grand tour of the principal sites of continental Europe, as part of a gentleman's education, is attested by that name from 1660s. The Grand Canyon was so called 1871 by Maj. John Wesley Powell, scientific adventurer, who explored it; earlier it had been known as Big Canyon.
grand (n.): "thousand dollars," 1915, American English underworld slang, from grand (adj.).
grand mal: "convulsive epilepsy" (with loss of consciousness), 1842, from French grand mal, literally "great sickness" (see grand (adj.)). Opposed to petit mal "absence seizure."
Grand Marnier: French cognac-based liqueur, 1901, from French grand "great" (see grand (adj.)) + Marnier-Lapostolle, name of the manufacturer.
Grand Old Party: see GOP.
grand prix: 1863, French, literally "great prize," originally in English in reference to the Grand Prix de Paris, international horse race for three-year-olds, run every June at Longchamps beginning in 1863.
grandad (n.): also granddad, 1819, from grand (adj.) + dad. Grandaddy is attested from 1769; figuratively (in grandaddy of all _____) from 1956. Grand dada attested from 1690s.
grandame (n.): c.1200, "a grandmother; an old woman," from grand (adj.) + dame. Cf. Anglo-French graund dame. Contracted form grannam attested from 1590s.
grandchild (n.): 1580s, graundchilde, from grand (adj.) + child. Related: Grandchildren.
granddaughter (n.): also grand daughter, 1610s, from grand (adj.) + daughter.
grandee (n.): 1590s, from Spanish grande "nobleman of the first rank," originally an adjective, "great," from Latin grandis "big, great" (see grand (adj.)).
grandeur (n.): c.1500, "loftiness, height," from Middle French grandeur "grandness, greatness," Old French grandor (12c.), from grand "great" (see grand (adj.)). Extended sense of "majesty, stateliness" is first recorded 1660s.
grandfather (n.): early 15c., from grand (adj.) + father (n.), probably on analogy of French grand-père. Replaced grandsire and Old English ealdefæder. Grandfather clause originally (1900) referred to exemptions from post-Reconstruction voting restrictions in the U.S. South for men whose forebears had voted before the Civil War. Grandfather clock is c.1880, from the popular song; they were previously known as tall case clocks or eight-day clocks.
grandfatherly (adj.): 1824, from grandfather + -ly (1).
grandiloquence (n.): 1580s, from Latin grandiloquentia, from grandiloquus "using lofty speech, bombastic," from grandis "big" (see grand (adj.)) + -loquus "speaking," from loqui "to speak" (see locution).
grandiloquent (adj.): 1590s, probably a back-formation from grandiloquence. Related: Grandiloquently.
grandiose (adj.): 1828 (earlier as a French word in English), from French grandiose "impressive" (18c.), from Italian grandioso, from Latin grandis "big" (see grand (adj.)). Related: Grandiosely.
grandiosity (n.): 1814, from French grandiose (see grandiose) + -ity.
The author now and then makes a word for his own use, as complicate, for complicated; and, still less fortunately 'grandiosity' (p. 343). [review of Joseph Forsyth's "Remarks on Italy," "Edinburgh Review," January 1814]
grandly (adv.): 1650s, from grand (adj.) + -ly (2).
grandma (n.): 1793, childish or familiar form of grandmother (see ma). Grandmama is recorded from 1749.
grandmaster (n.): as a chess title, 1927, from grand (adj.) + master (n.). Earlier as a title in Freemasonry (1724) and in military orders of knighthood (1550s).
grandmother (n.): early 15c., from grand (adj.) + mother (n.1), probably on analogy of French grand-mère. Replaced earlier grandame (c.1200) and Old English ealdemodor.
grandmotherly (adj.): 1842, from grandmother + -ly (1).
grandness (n.): 1722, from grand (adj.) + -ness.
grandpa (n.): 1814, childish or familiar form of grandfather (see pa). Grandpappa is recorded from 1753, grandpop from 1860, grandpappy from 1853.
grandparent (n.): 1802, from grand (adj.) + parent (n.). Related: Grandparents.
grandsire (n.): late 13c., from Anglo-French graunt sire; see grand (adj.) + sire (n.).
grandson (n.): 1580s, from grand + son.
grandstand (n.): "main seating for spectators at an outdoor event," 1834, from grand (adj.)+ stand. The verb meaning "to show off" is student slang from 1895, from grandstand player, attested in baseball slang from 1888.
It's little things of this sort which makes the 'grand stand player.' They make impossible catches, and when they get the ball they roll all over the field. [M.J. Kelly, "Play Ball," 1888]
Cf. British gallery hit (1882) "showy play by a batsman in cricket, 'intended to gain applause from uncritical spectators'" [OED]. Related: grandstanding.
grange (n.): "small farm," mid-15c.; mid-13c. in place names (and cf. granger), from Anglo-French graunge, Old French grange "barn, granary; farmstead, farm house" (12c.), from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin granica "barn or shed for keeping grain," from Latin granum "grain" (see corn (1)). Sense evolved to "outlying farm" (late 14c.), then "country house" (1550s). Meaning "local lodge of the Patrons of Husbandry" (a U.S. agricultural interest promotion organization) is from 1867.
granger (n.): "farm steward, man in charge of a grange," late 12c., also as a surname, from Old French grangier, from grange (see grange).
granite (n.): 1640s, from French granit(e) (17c.) or directly from Italian granito "granite," originally "grained," past participle of granire "granulate, make grainy," from grano "grain," from Latin granum "grain" (see corn (1)). In reference to the appearance of the rock. Used figuratively for "hardness" (of the heart, head, etc.) from 1839. New Hampshire, U.S., has been the Granite State since at least 1825.
granitic (adj.): 1794, from granite + -ic.
granny (n.): 1660s, according to OED, most likely a diminutive and contraction of grannam, shortened form of grandame, rather than from grandmother. The sailor's granny knot (by 1803, originally granny's knot, so called because "it is the natural knot tied by women or landsmen" [Smyth, "Sailor's Word-Book," 1867]. Granny Smith apples (1895) named for Maria Ann Smith (d.1870) of Australia, who originated them.
granola (n.): 1970, American English, probably from Italian grano "grain," or from granular, with commercial suffix -ola. Earlier, with a capital G-, it was a proprietary name (reg. 1886 by W.K. Kellogg, in use into early 20c.) for a kind of breakfast cereal.
grant (n.): c.1200, "allowance, consent, permission," from Anglo-French graunter, from Old French granter, collateral variant of creanter "to promise, guarantee, confirm, authorize," from Latin credentem (nominative credens), present participle of credere "to believe, to trust" (see credo).
grant (v.): early 13c., "to allow, consent, permit," from Old French granter (see grant (n.)). Meaning "admit, acknowledge" is from c.1300; hence to take (something) for granted (1610s). Related: Granted; granting.
grantee (n.): late 15c., from grant (n.) + -ee.
grantor (n.): 1620s, from Anglo-French grantor, agent noun from granter (see grant). Native form granter (n.) is attested from c.1400.
granular (adj.): 1794, from Late Latin granulum "granule," diminutive of Latin granum "grain, seed" (see corn (n.1)) + -ar. Replaced granulous (late 14c.). Related: Granularity.
granulate (v.): 1660s, back-formation from granulation. Related: Granulated; granulating.
granulation (n.): 1610s, from Late Latin granulum (see granular) + -ation.
granule (n.): 1650s, from French granule or directly from Late Latin granulum "small grain," diminutive of Latin granum "grain" (see corn (n.1)).
granuloma (n.): from Latin granulum (see granular) + -oma, on model of glaucoma, etc.
granulose (n.): part of starch convertible into sugar, 1875, from Late Latin granulum "small grain," diminutive of granum "grain" (see grain) + chemical suffix -ose.
grape (n.): mid-13c., from Old French grape "bunch of grapes, grape" (12c.), probably a back-formation from graper "steal; grasp; catch with a hook; pick (grapes)," from a Frankish or other Germanic word, from Proto-Germanic *krappon "hook" (cf. Middle Dutch crappe, Old High German krapfo "hook;" also see cramp (n.2)). The original notion perhaps was "vine hook for grape-picking." The vine is not native to England. The word replaced Old English winberige "wine berry." Spanish grapa, Italian grappa also are Germanic loan-words.
grapefruit (n.): 1814, from grape + fruit. So called because it grows in clusters. The fruit itself was known since 1693 (in Hans Sloane's catalogue of Jamaican plants); presumably it originated there from chance hybrids between other cultivated citrus. It was known by various names before the current one emerged. An ornamental plant chiefly at first, not much eaten until late 19c.
grapeshot (n.): also grape-shot, 1747, from grape + shot (n.). So called for its appearance. Originally simply grape, as a collective singular (1680s).
grapeshot (n.): also grape-shot, 1747, from grape + shot (n.). So called for its appearance. The whiff of grapeshot popularized in English from 1837, from Carlyle's history of the French Revolution (in which it was a chapter title).
grapevine (n.): 1736, from grape + vine. Meaning "rumor source" is 1862, U.S. Civil War slang for "telegraph wires."