Patrick Hartwell already published a well-known article attempting to define the meanings of grammar in 1985. “Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar” appeared in College English and has enjoyed a number of reprints. Anyone who has encountered this piece might imagine that, in my attempt to define grammar, I merely tread in Hartwell’s footsteps, covering the same ground, reporting his research verbatim. However, I feel Hartwell attempts to cover far too much territory in his article, as he moves quickly from definitions—omitting at least one important example, usage, since he assumes his readers are familiar with it already (188)—to a discussion of “the value of formal grammar instruction” and “What...our theory of language...predict[s] about the value of formal grammar instruction” (186). I conclude that authors who attempt to cover too much territory with regard to this term inevitably end up confusing their readers; thus, I intend only to share definitions (referents, signifieds, meanings) without analysis of any practical application. I must also admit that this process will represent a synchronic effort, that is, one anchored in a specific place and time, and so it will not try to explain historical changes in our key word (Aitchison2 10).