English

Proper noun

Grey

1. A surname​, alternative spelling of Gray

Anagrams

• gyre

English

Various shades of grey.

Alternative forms

• gray (often used in the US)

Pronunciation

• enPR: grā, IPA^(key): /ɡɹeɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ
• Homophones: gray, greige

Adjective

grey ‎(comparative greyer, superlative greyest) (often spelled "gray" in the US)

1. Having a color somewhere between white and black, as the ash of an ember.
   • Isaac Newton

     These grey and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks.‎

2. Dreary, gloomy.
   • Daniel C. Gerould

     the era of gray, boring banality and stagnation‎

3. Having an indistinct, disputed or uncertain quality.
4. Relating to older people.

   the grey dollar, i.e. the purchasing power of the elderly‎

   • Ames

     grey experience‎

Usage notes

A mnemonic for remembering which spelling is used where: grey is the English spelling, while gray is the American spelling. However, grey is also found in American English.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

grey ‎(third-person singular simple present greys, present participle greying, simple past and past participle greyed) (often spelled "gray" in the US)

1. To become grey.

   My hair is beginning to grey.‎

2. To cause to become grey.
   • 1941, Emily Carr, Klee Wyck, Chapter 18,

     Now only a few hand-hewn cedar planks and roof beams remained, moss-grown and sagging—a few totem poles, greyed and split.

3. (demography, slang) To turn progressively older, in the context of the population of a geographic region.

   the greying of Europe‎

Translations

Noun

grey ‎(plural greys) (often spelled "gray" in the US)

1. An achromatic colour intermediate between black and white.

   grey colour:

2. (ufology) an extraterrestrial humanoid with greyish skin, bulbous black eyes, and an enlarged head.

Translations

See also

Anagrams

• gyre

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse grey, from Proto-Germanic *grawją.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kreiː/
• Rhymes: -eiː

Noun

grey n ‎(genitive singular greys, nominative plural grey)

1. (archaic) bitch (female dog)
2. wretch, pitiful person

   Greyið mitt!

   You poor little thing!

   Greyið Jón

   Poor John

3. indefinite accusative singular of grey
4. indefinite nominative plural of grey
5. indefinite accusative plural of grey

Declension

Portuguese

Noun

grey m (plural greys)

1. Alternative form of gray (race of extraterrestrials)

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡre̞j]

Etymology

From Latin grege, singular ablative of grex.

Noun

grey f ‎(plural greyes)

1. (obsolete, poetic) flock, herd
2. (religion) flock (people served by a pastor, priest, etc., also all believers in a church or religion)

Synonyms

• (animals): rebaño
• (religion): rebaño, feligresía, congregación, iglesia

Derived terms

• gregario
• agregar

Related terms

• oveja
• cabra

See also

• (animals): ganado, hato, parvada, manada, jauría, cardumen, enjambre