gran

American  

[gran] / græn /

noun

Informal.

1. grandmother.

---

gran British  

/ ɡræn /

noun

1. an informal word for grandmother

---

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

Not hungry enough to steal food from my gran, but hungry enough to steal food from the chickens.

From Literature

“Most were evacuated when our school was closed. Our housekeeper, Viola, went to Wales, and I was supposed to go to America to stay with my gran.”

From Literature

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