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• grey
  grey

  adjective

  a variant of gray.
• Grey
  Grey

  noun

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

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

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

Etymology

Origin of grey

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

Explanation

Grey is an alternate spelling for the word gray, which is a color derived from mixing white and black. The word has also come to stand in for other mixtures as well. A person in a grey mood feels gloomy. If you are commanding a military force and you’re not sure whether you should attack a crowd that is half enemy fighters and half innocent citizens, you could say the decision falls in a grey zone. Grey can be a verb too. When you get old, your hair will grey if you don’t go bald first.

Example Sentences

Liam Payne’s son, Bear Grey Payne, 9, has been named the sole beneficiary of the One Direction star’s $29-million estate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

One no longer has to work for an institution like the Grey Lady when they’re able to gain millions of their own followers by rating what restaurant dishes are worth the hype.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

St. Andrews, on the east coast of Scotland, is lovingly nicknamed the Auld Grey Toon and prides itself as the home of golf and of the Old Course, which dates from the 15th century.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Hannah Grey and Oona McClelland are also fundraising for a cardiac charity.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

The floral Earl Grey flavor goes perfectly with sweet chunks of doodh ka halwa.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan