gray
gray Lexical Profile
gray Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
American Of a color intermediate between black and white, as of ashes or lead.
"She wore a warm gray sweater over her collared shirt."
American Cloudy, overcast, or dim, lacking bright sunlight.
"The hikers set out early on a cold, gray November morning."
American Having hair that has turned gray or white, especially as a natural sign of aging.
"The professor had grown gray after decades of teaching at the university."
American Ambiguous, indeterminate, or not clearly falling into an established category or rule.
"The new digital privacy regulations leave several gray areas for small businesses."
American Lacking cheer, interest, or distinctive character; dull and monotonous.
"He longed to escape the gray routine of his clerical job."
• noun
American An achromatic color intermediate between black and white, having no saturation or hue.
"The artist used subtle shades of gray to capture the winter fog."
American A horse of a gray or whitish coat color.
"The rider mounted a dappled gray before the equestrian competition began."
The derived SI unit of absorbed ionizing radiation dose, equal to one joule of energy absorbed per kilogram of matter.
"The radiation oncologist carefully calculated the dosage in grays for the treatment plan."
• verb
American To become or cause to become gray in color, especially of hair turning gray with age.
"His dark hair began to gray at the temples in his late thirties."
Word Nuance & Usage
The spelling "gray" is standard in American English, whereas "grey" is preferred in British, Canadian, and Australian English. However, the scientific unit of absorbed radiation dose is universally spelled "gray" (abbreviated Gy) after British physicist Louis Harold Gray.
• Rhymes for gray
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English grǣg, of Proto-Germanic origin (*grēwaz), related to Old Norse grár and German grau.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.