gray matter

noun

1. Anatomy. nerve tissue, especially of the brain and spinal cord, that contains fibers and nerve cell bodies and is dark reddish-gray. Compare white matter.
2. Informal. brains or intellect.

gray matter

1. The brownish-gray tissue of the vertebrate brain and spinal cord, made up chiefly of the cell bodies and dendrites of neurons.
2. Compare white matter

Word History and Origins

Origin of gray matter¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Idioms and Phrases

Brains, intellect, as in If you'd only use your gray matter, you'd see the answer in a minute . This expression refers to actual brain tissue that is gray in color. Agatha Christie's fictional detective, Hercule Poirot, constantly alludes to using the little gray cells for solving a crime. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

AFM attacks motor neurons in the spinal cord’s gray matter, which controls movement.

From Los Angeles Times

It revealed that individuals who reported watching sports more frequently exhibited greater gray matter volume in regions associated with reward circuits, suggesting that regular sports viewing may gradually induce changes in brain structures.

From Science Daily

But, more importantly, it is the millions of his rabid fans, missing gray matter and in possession of copious amounts of firearms, who are a greater concern.

From Salon

"We looked at APOE4, which is a main genetic factor related to dementia, and it was not related to gray matter thickness at all," Satizabal said.

From Science Daily

The animals were, essentially, processing what just happened, allowing their tiny nuggets of gray matter to drift along and make sense of these curious humans’ images.

From Salon