greeting

American  

[gree-ting] / ˈgri tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or words of a person who greets. greet.

2. a friendly message from someone who is absent.

   a greeting from a friend in another country.

3. greetings, an expression of friendly or respectful regard.

   Send my greetings to your family.

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greeting British  

/ ˈɡriːtɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or an instance of welcoming or saluting on meeting

2. (often plural)

   1. an expression of friendly salutation

   2. ( as modifier )

      a greetings card

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Other Word Forms

• greetingless adjective

Etymology

Origin of greeting

before 900; Middle English, Old English gretinge. See greet ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Fleischman recalled going to dinner with Reagan at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in Beverly Hills, and the celebrity chef — upon hearing that the former president’s son was dining at his establishment — greeting them.

From Los Angeles Times

That led to an invitation to the office, and soon she was making $16 an hour greeting customers and answering the phone.

From The Wall Street Journal

Emperor Naruhito had finished his 2026 greeting from a balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo when the man in the front row in the gardens below removed his clothes, according to the reports.

From Barron's

Cook would often stand at the top of the stairs of the youth club - a towering presence at 6ft 2ins - watching the street, greeting people and calling out to anyone who lingered too long outside.

From BBC

When a lone professor voiced a dissenting view, the school reacted in the manner of an immune system greeting a foreign pathogen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• hello
• nod
• ovation
• reception
• salute