gray

¹

[ grey ]

adjective

, gray·er, gray·est.

1. of a color between white and black; having a neutral hue.
2. dark, dismal, or gloomy:

   gray skies.

3. dull, dreary, or monotonous.
4. having gray hair; gray-headed.
5. pertaining to old age; mature.
6. Informal. pertaining to, involving, or composed of older persons:

   gray households.

7. old or ancient.
8. indeterminate and intermediate in character:

   The tax audit concentrated on deductions in the gray area between purely personal and purely business expenses.

noun

1. any achromatic color; any color with zero chroma, intermediate between white and black.
2. something of this color.
3. gray material or clothing:

   to dress in gray.

4. an unbleached and undyed condition.
5. (often initial capital letter) a member of the Confederate army in the American Civil War or the army itself. Compare blue ( def 5 ).
6. a horse of a gray color.
7. a horse that appears white but is not an albino.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become gray.

gray

²

[ grey ]

noun

, Physics.

1. the standard unit of absorbed dose of radiation (such as x-rays) in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the amount of ionizing radiation absorbed when the energy imparted to matter is 1 J/kg (one joule per kilogram). : Gy

Gray

³

[ grey ]

noun

1. A·sa [ey, -s, uh], 1810–88, U.S. botanist.
2. Robert, 1755–1806, U.S. explorer and sea captain: discovered the Columbia River.
3. Thomas, 1716–71, English poet.

Gray

¹

/ ɡreɪ /

noun

1. GrayThomas17161771MEnglishWRITING: poet Thomas. 1716–71, English poet, best known for his Elegy written in a Country Churchyard (1751)

gray

²

/ ɡreɪ /

adjective

1. a variant spelling (now esp US) of grey

gray

³

/ ɡreɪ /

noun

1. the derived SI unit of absorbed ionizing radiation dose or kerma equivalent to an absorption per unit mass of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material. 1 gray is equivalent to 100 rads Gy

gray

/ grā /

1. The SI derived unit used to measure the energy absorbed by a substance per unit weight of the substance when exposed to radiation. One gray is equal to one joule per kilogram, or 100 rads. The gray is named after British physicist Louis Harold Gray (1905–1965).

Derived Forms

• ˈgrayness, noun
• ˈgrayly, adverb
• ˈgrayish, adjective

Other Words From

• grayly especially British, greyly adverb
• grayness especially British, greyness noun
• un·grayed especially British, un·greyed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gray¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English grei, grai, Old English grǣg, grēg; cognate with German grau, Old Norse grār

Origin of gray²

First recorded in 1975; named in honor of Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English radiobiologist

Word History and Origins

Origin of gray¹

C20: named after Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English physicist

Idioms and Phrases

• get gray hair from

Example Sentences

Gray said all the engagements were “official ministerial business”, and that he had not planned to attend only Aberdeen club matches.

From BBC

Gray said there had been no decisions yet as to how the final bill would be formulated as he sought support to pass the legislation.

From BBC

But Ms Gray is adamant it was her decision, we are told, and she never spoke directly to the prime minister about it.

From BBC

A friend of Ms Gray said: "Sue has taken a decision not to take the role. She’s going to focus on other things."

From BBC

Gray, who served in the Assembly for 10 years, campaigned as a “radical centrist” who pointed to his time in the state Legislature to show his record of working across party lines.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drab
• dusty
• grey
• silvery