grey

¹ American  

[grey] / greɪ /

adjective

greyer, greyest

1. Chiefly British. a variant of gray.

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Grey ² American  

[grey] / greɪ /

noun

1. Charles, 2nd Earl, 1764–1845, British statesman: prime minister 1830–34.

2. Sir Edward Viscount Fallodon, 1862–1933, British statesman.

3. Sir George, 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator: prime minister of New Zealand 1877–79.

4. Lady Jane Lady Jane Dudley, 1537–54, descendant of Henry VII of England; executed under orders of Mary I to eliminate her as a rival for the throne.

5. Zane 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.

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grey ¹ British  

/ ɡreɪ /

adjective

1. of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white, that has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light

2. greyish in colour or having parts or marks that are greyish

3. dismal or dark, esp from lack of light; gloomy

4. neutral or dull, esp in character or opinion

5. having grey hair

6. of or relating to people of middle age or above

   grey power

7. ancient; venerable

8. (of textiles) natural, unbleached, undyed, and untreated

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noun

1. any of a group of grey tones

2. grey cloth or clothing

   dressed in grey

3. an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish

verb

1. to become or make grey

Grey ² British  

/ ɡreɪ /

noun

1. Charles, 2nd Earl Grey. 1764–1845, British statesman. As Whig prime minister (1830–34), he carried the Reform Bill of 1832 and the bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire (1833)

2. Sir Edward, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon. 1862–1933, British statesman; foreign secretary (1905–16)

3. Sir George. 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator; prime minister of New Zealand (1877–79)

4. Lady Jane. 1537–54, queen of England (July 9–19, 1553); great-granddaughter of Henry VII. Her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, persuaded Edward VI to alter the succession in her favour, but after ten days as queen she was imprisoned and later executed

5. Zane. 1875–1939, US author of Westerns, including Riders of the Purple Sage (1912)

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grey Idioms  

1. see gray.

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Usage

What’s the difference between grey and gray? Grey and gray are simply different spellings of the same word, which refers to the color halfway between black and white (among other more figurative meanings).In popular use, the two spellings are used interchangeably, though one spelling is often preferred in many places. The spelling grey is more common in British English, while gray is much more common in American English.Remember: spell gray with an a in America, and spell grey with an e in England (among other places).Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between grey and gray.

Other Word Forms

• greyish adjective
• greyly adverb
• greyness noun
• ungreyed adjective

Etymology

Origin of grey

Old English grǣg; related to Old High German grāo, Old Norse grar

Example Sentences

Domestically, however, the US's actions fall into a legal grey area that may still result in Maduro standing trial, regardless of the circumstances that brought him there.

From BBC

Police said before the crash, they received a call at 06:50, which reported that a man who appeared vulnerable with grey hair and wearing dark clothing was walking alone on the A120 towards Colchester.

From BBC

Armstrong, 35, was last seen wearing a burgundy or orange coat, grey cap, grey tracksuit suit bottoms with blue on the side, and black boots.

From BBC

The findings point to a surprising possibility that prehistoric people deliberately brought grey wolves to the island and may have kept or managed them.

From Science Daily

On a cold grey morning at a border crossing an hour's drive from Gaziantep the hills of Syria are visible, a short distance away.

From BBC