granny

or gran·nie

[ gran-ee ]

noun

, plural gran·nies.

1. Informal. a grandmother.
2. an elderly woman.
3. a fussy person.
4. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a nurse or midwife.
5. granny knot.

adjective

, gran·ni·er, gran·ni·est

1. of, relating to, or thought to be like a grandmother or an elderly or old-fashioned woman:

   granny notions about what's proper.

2. (of clothing for women or girls) being loose-fitted and having such features as high necklines, puff sleeves, long skirts, and ruffles and lace trimmings:

   a granny blouse; a granny nightgown.

granny

/ ˈɡrænɪ /

noun

1. informal words for grandmother
2. informal.
   an irritatingly fussy person
3. a revolving cap on a chimneypot that keeps out rain, etc
4. a midwife or nurse
5. See granny knot

Word History and Origins

Origin of granny¹

1655–65; grand(mother) + -y ², with -nd- > -nn-

Example Sentences

“We thought, ‘This is a game of diminishing returns and we will be playing grannies.’

From Los Angeles Times

"Representation matters, so for me this is a huge moment and I can't wait, and I know my granny in India is just so excited, so it will be really special."

From BBC

“I feel like compared to other streaming things I’ve done, this one just has a story and also, I’ve been here. This is my granny’s house. It’s familiar.”

From Los Angeles Times

Kerr still phones home nearly every day and likes to speak to his granny on race days.

From BBC

The treated mice were known as "supermodel grannies" in the lab because of their youthful appearance.

From BBC

Related Words

• ancestor
• grandma
• matriarch