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gray

[ grey ]

/ greɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR gray ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, gray·er, gray·est.

of a color between white and black; having a neutral hue.

dark, dismal, or gloomy: gray skies.

dull, dreary, or monotonous.

having gray hair; gray-headed.

pertaining to old age; mature.

Informal. pertaining to, involving, or composed of older persons: gray households.

old or ancient.

indeterminate and intermediate in character: The tax audit concentrated on deductions in the gray area between purely personal and purely business expenses.

noun

any achromatic color; any color with zero chroma, intermediate between white and black.

something of this color.

gray material or clothing: to dress in gray.

an unbleached and undyed condition.

(often initial capital letter) a member of the Confederate army in the American Civil War or the army itself.Compare blue (def. 5).

a horse of a gray color.

a horse that appears white but is not an albino.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become gray.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also especially British, grey .

Origin of gray

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English grǣg; cognate with German grau

OTHER WORDS FROM gray

grayly; especially British, greyly, adverbgrayness; especially British, greyness, nounun·grayed; especially British, un·greyed, adjective

Words nearby gray

gravure, gravy, gravy boat, gravy train, gravy train, ride the, gray, grayanotoxin, gray area, grayback, graybeard, gray birch

Definition for gray (2 of 3)

gray²

[ grey ]

/ greɪ /

noun Physics.

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). Abbreviation: Gy

Compare rad¹.

Origin of gray

First recorded in 1975; named in honor of Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English radiobiologist

Definition for gray (3 of 3)

Gray

[ grey ]

/ greɪ /

noun

A·sa

[ey-suh], /ˈeɪ sə/, 1810–88, U.S. botanist.

Robert, 1755–1806, U.S. explorer and sea captain: discovered the Columbia River.

Thomas, 1716–71, English poet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for gray

In fact, vaccines have already been used successfully in gray seals for contraceptive purposes, so we know the technology is there.
Everything we know—and don’t know—about human-to-animal COVID transmission|jakemeth|September 4, 2020|Fortune
Coyotes look like medium-sized dogs or small wolves with short gray and brown fur.
Are coyotes moving into your neighborhood?|Kathryn Hulick|September 3, 2020|Science News For Students
The resentment was exacerbated by the fact that Mosby’s own office had recently requested heightened enforcement in exactly the area where Gray was arrested.
What Can Mayors Do When the Police Stop Doing Their Jobs?|by Alec MacGillis|September 3, 2020|ProPublica
Even when told to look for a world gone gray, the students didn’t notice until about two-thirds of the color was gone.
You don’t see as much color as you think|Bethany Brookshire|August 21, 2020|Science News For Students

I lie and nod my head yes while wiping the tears on my gray fleece sleeve.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the gift card is shopped online in a gray market to collect cold currency.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her neon blue hair is teased high with a gray stripe emerging from the front.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Sept. 30, 2012, FWS delisted the gray wolf and transferred wildlife management to the states.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More recently, the rows of red and gray cement housing project blocks that sprouted up in the 1980s dominate the view.
In Rome’s Riots, Cries for Mussolini and Attacks on Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The gray man now commenced an anecdote, which I shall give in his own words.
Road Scrapings: Coaches and Coaching|M. E. Haworth
He has a big, gray shawl like your own, wrapped around his shoulders.
The Tree of Appomattox|Joseph A. Altsheler
Gray Cloud, in a trance, might already have frozen to death.
Shaman|Robert Shea
He is middle-aged and wears somewhat ill fitting brown fur, tinged with gray, and horn-rimmed spectacles.
Seeing Things at Night|Heywood Broun
Even his grizzled hair slanted forward in a stiff cowlick over his forehead, and his face bristled sharply with his gray beard.
Jerome, A Poor Man|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for gray (1 of 3)

gray¹

/ (ɡreɪ) /

adjective, noun, verb

a variant spelling (now esp US) of grey

Derived forms of gray

grayish, adjectivegrayly, adverbgrayness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for gray (2 of 3)

gray²

/ (ɡreɪ) /

noun

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 radsSymbol: Gy

Word Origin for gray

C20: named after Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English physicist

British Dictionary definitions for gray (3 of 3)

Gray

/ (ɡreɪ) /

noun

Thomas. 1716–71, English poet, best known for his Elegy written in a Country Churchyard (1751)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for gray (1 of 2)

gray

[ grā ]

n.

A unit for a specific absorbed dose of radiation equal to 100 rads.

Medical definitions for gray (2 of 2)

Gray

Henry 1825?-1861

British anatomist whose work Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical (1858), known as Gray's Anatomy, remains a standard text.

Scientific definitions for gray

gray

[ grā ]

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).

Idioms and Phrases with gray

gray

In addition to the idioms beginning with gray

gray area
gray matter

also see:

get gray hair from

MEANINGS

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WORD OF THE DAY

gray

adjective, gray·er, gray·est.

noun

verb (used with or without object)

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of gray

OTHER WORDS FROM gray

Words nearby gray

Definition for gray (2 of 3)

noun Physics.

Origin of gray

Definition for gray (3 of 3)

noun

Example sentences from the Web for gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (1 of 3)

adjective, noun, verb

Derived forms of gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (3 of 3)

noun

Medical definitions for gray (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for gray (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for gray

Idioms and Phrases with gray

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

gray

adjective, gray·er, gray·est.

noun

verb (used with or without object)

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of gray

OTHER WORDS FROM gray

Words nearby gray

Definition for gray (2 of 3)

noun Physics.

Origin of gray

Definition for gray (3 of 3)

noun

Words related to gray

Example sentences from the Web for gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (1 of 3)

adjective, noun, verb

Derived forms of gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (2 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for gray

British Dictionary definitions for gray (3 of 3)

noun

Medical definitions for gray (1 of 2)

n.

Medical definitions for gray (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for gray

Idioms and Phrases with gray