grayscale

American  

[grey-skeyl] / ˈgreɪˌskeɪl /

Or gray scale

noun

1. a scale of achromatic colors having several, usually ten, equal gradations ranging from white to black, used in television and photography.

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Etymology

Origin of grayscale

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

“I can’t see the red text notification buttons when it’s in grayscale, so it doesn’t tempt me as much,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

The robust generalization of the developmentally inspired model is not merely a consequence of it having been trained on both color and grayscale images; the temporal ordering of these images makes a big difference.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2024

Miller’s imagination has fed into “The Last of Us,” “Fallout” and a host of other grayscale nightmares for movies and TV.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2024

She also keeps her phone set to grayscale, on the advice of a tech-y friend, though she’s not really sure if this helps.

From Slate • Jan. 4, 2024

The color was sapped from the scene, the entire room cast in grayscale, and a trail of words had drifted past them along the floor, translating the things she uttered into English.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny