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

For Redmayne, this gray area between right and wrong “spoke to the moment.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It's not just a lack of evidence for safety, but there isn't a huge amount of evidence saying that it is really harmful either — so we're kind of in this gray zone."

From Salon

“I don’t think I’ve had as busy a year in North America for a very, very long time,” she says in a recent interview, poised and quietly glamorous in an elegant gray turtleneck sweater.

From Los Angeles Times

You invested these weather sequences with six shades of tornado gray that enhance each storm’s villainous vibe.

From Los Angeles Times

Remember the version of Mark Zuckerberg who wore the same gray T-shirt, day after day, because he didn’t want to burden himself with unnecessary decisions?

From Salon

Related Words

• drab
• dusty
• grey
• silvery

Gray Vs. Grey

What’s the difference between gray and grey?

Gray and grey 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 gray is much more common in American English, while grey is more common in British 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 gray and grey.

Quiz yourself on gray vs. grey!

True or False? 

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