Gretna Green
- a village in S Scotland, near the English border, to which many English couples formerly eloped to be married.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for gretna green
Historical Examples
Carlisle and its famous castle, and Gretna-Green, are more in the interior.
"A Gretna-Green affair, I presume, sir," observed the inquisitive landlord.
Three Courses and a DessertAnonymous
Gretna Green
- a village in S Scotland, in Dumfries and Galloway on the border with England: famous smithy where eloping couples were married by the blacksmith from 1754 until 1940, when such marriages became illegal. Pop: 2705 (2001)
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for gretna green
Gretna Green
town in Scotland just across the border, proverbial from late 18c. as the customery place for English couples to run off and be married without parental consent.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper