grey

¹

[ grey ]

adjective

, grey·er, grey·est,

1. Chiefly British. a variant of gray ¹.

Grey

²

[ grey ]

noun

1. Charles, 2nd Earl, 1764–1845, British statesman: prime minister 1830–34.
2. Sir Edward Viscount Fallodon, 1862–1933, British statesman.
3. Sir George, 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator: prime minister of New Zealand 1877–79.
4. Lady Jane Lady Jane Dudley, 1537–54, descendant of Henry VII of England; executed under orders of Mary I to eliminate her as a rival for the throne.
5. Zane [zeyn], 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.

grey

¹

/ ɡreɪ /

adjective

1. of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white, that has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light
2. greyish in colour or having parts or marks that are greyish
3. dismal or dark, esp from lack of light; gloomy
4. neutral or dull, esp in character or opinion
5. having grey hair
6. of or relating to people of middle age or above

   grey power

7. ancient; venerable
8. (of textiles) natural, unbleached, undyed, and untreated

noun

1. any of a group of grey tones
2. grey cloth or clothing

   dressed in grey

3. an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish

verb

1. to become or make grey

Grey

²

/ ɡreɪ /

noun

1. GreyCharles, 2nd Earl Grey17641845MBritishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Charles, 2nd Earl Grey. 1764–1845, British statesman. As Whig prime minister (1830–34), he carried the Reform Bill of 1832 and the bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire (1833)
2. GreySir Edward, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon18621933MBritishPOLITICS: statesman Sir Edward, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon. 1862–1933, British statesman; foreign secretary (1905–16)
3. GreySir George18121898MBritishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: colonial administrator Sir George. 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator; prime minister of New Zealand (1877–79)
4. GreyJane, Lady15371554FEnglishPOLITICS: hereditary ruler Lady Jane. 1537–54, queen of England (July 9–19, 1553); great-granddaughter of Henry VII. Her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, persuaded Edward VI to alter the succession in her favour, but after ten days as queen she was imprisoned and later executed
5. GreyZane18751939MUSWRITING: author of Westerns Zane. 1875–1939, US author of Westerns, including Riders of the Purple Sage (1912)

Derived Forms

• ˈgreyly, adverb
• ˈgreyish, adjective
• ˈgreyness, noun

Other Words From

• greyly adverb
• greyness noun
• un·greyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grey¹

Old English grǣg; related to Old High German grāo, Old Norse grar

Idioms and Phrases

see gray .

Example Sentences

The sky here is grey and there is a thick, visible blanket of smog.

From BBC

And secondly: "Will I still have to spend hours watching my hair turn grey in a hypertension-inducing fuel queue?"

From BBC

They said the man had short, dark coloured hair and was wearing a grey puffer jacket, light-coloured trousers and white trainers.

From BBC

Today, walking through the grey rubble and dust, there are still coat hooks on the wall, a few tiles in the bathroom, a window with the glass long gone.

From BBC

Mr Rudakubana was sitting with a single prison officer behind him and holding his grey sweatshirt over his face with his left hand.

From BBC

Grey Vs. Gray

What’s the difference between grey and gray?

Grey and gray are simply different spellings of the same word, which refers to the color halfway between black and white (among other more figurative meanings).

In popular use, the two spellings are used interchangeably, though one spelling is often preferred in many places. The spelling grey is more common in British English, while gray is much more common in American English.

Remember: spell gray with an a in America, and spell grey with an e in England (among other places).

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between grey and gray.

Quiz yourself on grey vs. gray!

True or False?

The words grey and gray are always used to refer to slightly different colors.