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Original · left

Grid (pattern)

A network of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines.

First in use: the 1800s
Duplicate · right

CSS grid

A two-dimensional CSS layout system for placing elements in rows and columns.

First in use: c. 2017

Grid / Grid (pattern) / CSS grid

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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Graph paper vs. display: grid.

Which meaning of Grid is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Grid (pattern) came first (the 1800s). CSS grid arrived in 2017. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Grid (pattern)CSS grid
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1800s

Grid (pattern)

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Duplicate · c. 2017

CSS grid

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More duplicated terms

Design & UX