A grater is a kitchen utensil used to shred foods. It is most commonly used with cheese (known under this circumstance as a cheese grater) - it allows the cheese to be easily distributed over the top of food, such as pasta. The large area allows it to easily soften or melt.
It can be used for other foodstuffs such as vegetables and fruit (the carrot, as an example) - and is famously used for truffles.
