gran

American  

[gran] / græn /

noun

Informal.

1. grandmother.

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gran British  

/ ɡræn /

noun

1. an informal word for grandmother

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Usage

What does gran mean? Gran is an informal word for grandmother—the mother of a person’s parent.The word granny is used in the same way. A similar word for a grandfather is gramps.Gran should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Gran that I miss her. But gran does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to her, as in Please tell my gran that I miss her. Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your gran, as long as you call her.

Etymology

Origin of gran

First recorded in 1860–65; by shortening

Example Sentences

He grew up surrounded by his gran's collection and later bought his own after visiting a shop with a friend.

From BBC

As he stands in the rain, Mr Colton adds ruefully: "My gran thinks I'm mad."

From BBC

When she was five, her gran took her to live in Stranraer in south-west Scotland, about two hours' drive from her home in Glasgow.

From BBC

His gran, Betty Feeney, sparked the Glasgow actor's lifelong love of performance with her stories of seeing Frank Sinatra play in the city.

From BBC

"I was expelled and taken away from all my friends, and it made me really sad – but my gran used to say, 'Keep on keeping on, Thom', and it stuck with me."

From BBC