granny

American  

[gran-ee] / ˈgræn i /

Or grannie

noun

plural

grannies

1. Informal. a grandmother.

2. an elderly woman.

3. a fussy person.

4. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. a nurse or midwife.

5. granny knot.

---

adjective

grannier, granniest

1. of, relating to, or thought to be like a grandmother or an elderly or old-fashioned woman.

   granny notions about what's proper.

2. (of clothing for women or girls) being loose-fitted and having such features as high necklines, puff sleeves, long skirts, and ruffles and lace trimmings.

   a granny blouse; a granny nightgown.

granny British  

/ ˈɡrænɪ /

noun

1. informal words for grandmother

2. informal an irritatingly fussy person

3. a revolving cap on a chimneypot that keeps out rain, etc

4. a midwife or nurse

5. See granny knot

---

Etymology

Origin of granny

1655–65; grand(mother) + -y ², with -nd- > -nn-

Example Sentences

"And now of course I'm a granny myself, so maybe that's what spurred me on."

From BBC

I hope it’s a rich old granny who wants to spoil you silly.

From Literature

The importance of inter-generational connection seems to be paying off, as five-year-old Evan said he was drawing hearts on his paper cracker "for my granny who dropped me off and I love her".

From BBC

"I was at work and I got the phone call from my sister saying 'I think granny's dead'," he said.

From BBC

Most in attendance were elderly women, whom Davis affectionately calls “holler grannies,” using the term for the narrow, sheltered valleys where extended families often live here.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ancestor
• grandma
• matriarch