gray
1of 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.
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.
to make or become gray.
Origin of gray
1- Also especially British, grey .
Other words from gray
- grayly; especially British, greyly, adverb
- grayness; especially British, greyness, noun
- un·grayed; especially British, un·greyed, adjective
Other definitions for gray (2 of 3)
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
Origin of gray
2- Compare rad1.
Other definitions for Gray (3 of 3)
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. 2023
How to use gray in a sentence
Out in the real world, though, there are no blacks and whites—only a riot of grays.
Did Hollywood Collaborate With Hitler? A New Book Makes Bold Claims. | Christopher Bray | September 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe subtle grays and taupes of Giorgio Armani are perfectly suited to his austere Tadao Ando- designed theater.
As "our guts expand, our health deteriorates, our hair grays, and our skin sags off our bones," writes Singer.
And she is going to marry Ralph Towne: she passed with him this morning; they were in the phaeton with that pair of little grays!
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. DrinkwaterThe dapple grays were fat, well fed beasts, and the coachman was old and rheumatic.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
A word to the survivors of the Guilford Grays, and I close these reminiscences.
Reminiscences of the Guilford Grays, Co. B., 27th N.C. Regiment | John A. SloanHis neckties were frazzeled and his socks were all earthy-browns and oat-meal grays.
The Varmint | Owen JohnsonAnd the carriage, with the prancing grays, was left unoccupied, save by the coachman in the silver wig.
A History of Pendennis, Volume 1 | William Makepeace Thackeray
British Dictionary definitions for gray (1 of 3)
/ (ɡreɪ) /
a variant spelling (now esp US) of grey
Derived forms of gray
- grayish, adjective
- grayly, adverb
- grayness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for gray (2 of 3)
/ (ɡreɪ) /
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 rads: Symbol: Gy
Origin of gray
2British Dictionary definitions for Gray (3 of 3)
/ (ɡreɪ) /
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
Scientific definitions for 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).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with gray
In addition to the idioms beginning with gray
- gray area
- gray matter
also see:
- get gray hair from
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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