gran
Americannoun
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
La gran incógnita sigue siendo el receptor Will Smith, que lleva fuera desde el 9 de septiembre por una fractura en la mano derecha.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025
También a diferencia del año pasado, el bullpen es una gran incógnita a pesar del alentador final de la temporada regular.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025
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 • Apr. 4, 2025
"I'd love to have been able to take my gran to see it," he told BBC Scotland News.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2025
She read through every page of every book her gran owned, but none of them contained advice on how to reverse a witch’s curse.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
