grey

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Related to grey: greyhound

grey

(grā)

adj.n. & v.

Variant of gray¹.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

grey

(ɡreɪ) or

gray

adj

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

2. (Animals) 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. (Textiles) (of textiles) natural, unbleached, undyed, and untreated

9. (Colours) any of a group of grey tones

10. (Textiles) grey cloth or clothing: dressed in grey.

11. (Zoology) an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish

to become or make grey

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

ˈgreyish, ˈgrayish adj

ˈgreyly, ˈgrayly adv

ˈgreyness, ˈgrayness n

Grey

(ɡreɪ)

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

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

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

grey

(greɪ)

adj.

gray ¹.

Grey

(greɪ)

n.

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

2. Lady Jane (Lady Jane Dudley), 1537–54, descendant of Henry VII of England; executed as a rival to Mary I for the throne.

3. Zane (zān), 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.

grey

, gray - The distinction in spelling between British grey and American gray is recent, popping up in the 20th century.

grey

Past participle: greyed
Gerund: greying

Imperative
grey
grey

Present
I grey
you grey
he/she/it greys
we grey
you grey
they grey

Preterite
I greyed
you greyed
he/she/it greyed
we greyed
you greyed
they greyed

Present Continuous
I am greying
you are greying
he/she/it is greying
we are greying
you are greying
they are greying

Present Perfect
I have greyed
you have greyed
he/she/it has greyed
we have greyed
you have greyed
they have greyed

Past Continuous
I was greying
you were greying
he/she/it was greying
we were greying
you were greying
they were greying

Past Perfect
I had greyed
you had greyed
he/she/it had greyed
we had greyed
you had greyed
they had greyed

Future
I will grey
you will grey
he/she/it will grey
we will grey
you will grey
they will grey

Future Perfect
I will have greyed
you will have greyed
he/she/it will have greyed
we will have greyed
you will have greyed
they will have greyed

Future Continuous
I will be greying
you will be greying
he/she/it will be greying
we will be greying
you will be greying
they will be greying

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been greying
you have been greying
he/she/it has been greying
we have been greying
you have been greying
they have been greying

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been greying
you will have been greying
he/she/it will have been greying
we will have been greying
you will have been greying
they will have been greying

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been greying
you had been greying
he/she/it had been greying
we had been greying
you had been greying
they had been greying

Conditional
I would grey
you would grey
he/she/it would grey
we would grey
you would grey
they would grey

Past Conditional
I would have greyed
you would have greyed
he/she/it would have greyed
we would have greyed
you would have greyed
they would have greyed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	Grey - United States writer of western adventure novels (1875-1939) Zane Grey
	2.	Grey - Queen of England for nine days in 1553; she was quickly replaced by Mary Tudor and beheaded for treason (1537-1554) Lady Jane Grey House of Tudor, Tudor - an English dynasty descended from Henry Tudor; Tudor monarchs ruled from Henry VII to Elizabeth I (from 1485 to 1603)
	3.	Grey - Englishman who as Prime Minister implemented social reforms including the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire (1764-1845) Charles Grey, Second Earl Grey
	4.	grey - any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are grey; "the Confederate army was a vast grey" gray organization, organisation - a group of people who work together Army of the Confederacy, Confederate Army - the southern army during the American Civil War
	5.	grey - a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black gray, grayness, greyness achromatic color, achromatic colour - a color lacking hue; white or grey or black ash gray, ash grey, silver gray, silver grey, silver - a light shade of grey charcoal gray, charcoal grey, oxford gray, oxford grey, charcoal - a very dark grey color dappled-gray, dappled-grey, dapple-gray, dapple-grey - grey with a mottled pattern of darker grey markings iron-gray, iron-grey - the color of freshly broken cast iron tattletale gray, tattletale grey - a greyish white Davy's gray, Davy's grey, iron blue, steel gray, steel grey - slightly purplish or bluish dark grey
	6.	grey - clothing that is a grey color; "he was dressed in grey" gray article of clothing, clothing, habiliment, wearable, vesture, wear - a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
	7.	grey - horse of a light gray or whitish color gray mount, riding horse, saddle horse - a lightweight horse kept for riding only
Verb	1.	grey - make grey; "The painter decided to grey the sky" gray color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour in, colourise, colourize, colour - add color to; "The child colored the drawings"; "Fall colored the trees"; "colorize black and white film"
	2.	grey - turn grey; "Her hair began to grey" gray discolour, discolor, color, colour - change color, often in an undesired manner; "The shirts discolored"
Adj.	1.	grey - of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black; "the little grey cells"; "gray flannel suit"; "a man with greyish hair" gray, grayish, greyish achromatic, neutral - having no hue; "neutral colors like black or white"
	2.	grey - showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair; "whose beard with age is hoar"-Coleridge; "nodded his hoary head" gray-haired, gray-headed, grey-haired, grey-headed, grizzly, hoar, hoary, white-haired, gray old - (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age; "his mother is very old"; "a ripe old age"; "how old are you?"
	3.	grey - used to signify the Confederate forces in the American Civil War (who wore grey uniforms); "a stalwart grey figure" gray southern - in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line; "southern hospitality"; "southern cooking"; "southern plantations"
	4.	grey - intermediate in character or position; "a grey area between clearly legal and strictly illegal" gray intermediate - lying between two extremes in time or space or state; "going from sitting to standing without intermediate pushes with the hands"; "intermediate stages in a process"; "intermediate stops on the route"; "an intermediate range plane"

grey

adjective

1. dull, dark, dim, gloomy, cloudy, murky, drab, misty, foggy, overcast, sunless It was a grey, wet April Sunday.

2. bleak, depressing, grim, discouraging, gloomy, hopeless, dismal, dreary, sombre, unpromising, disheartening, joyless, cheerless, comfortless Even the president admits the New Year will be grey and cheerless.

3. boring, dull, anonymous, faceless, colourless, nondescript, characterless little grey men in suits

4. old, aged, ancient, mature, elderly, venerable, hoary a grey old man

5. pale, wan, livid, bloodless, colourless, pallid, ashen, like death warmed up (informal) His face was grey with pain.

6. ambiguous, uncertain, neutral, unclear, debatable The whole question of refugees is something of a grey area. see shades from black to white

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

اللون الرَّماديذو شَعْر أشيبرَماديرَمَاديّشَيء رَمادي

gris

šedýšedášedivětšedivý

grågrånegråtgråhåretblive grå

grau ergrauengrau werden

γκρίζος γκρι

griza

gris Grises canoso encanecer

hall

harmaaharmaantuasynkkäankea

gris grise griser grises grisonnant

siv

megőszülmegszürkülőszszürkeszürke színû

grárgrár liturgráttgrágrá flík

grigio tetro bigio deprimente

グレー灰色の

회색의

kas pilkos spalvospapilkėtipilka spalvapilkšvaspražilti

pelēkssirmotsirmsjebkas pelēkā krāsānosirmot

grijsgrijzegrauwgrauwe

grå gråfarge gråhåret gråne bli grå

szaryszarość

cinzento acinzentar cinza cinzenta

brumăriucenuşiugrisur

серый сивый седой

sivýšedivieťšedivýsivá farba

sivasivosiv

grågrånatråkigtrist

สีเทา

grigri renkgri renkligrileşmekkır saçlı

bạcxám

灰色的变成灰色头发灰白灰白头发的灰色

grey

gray (US) [greɪ]

A. ADJ (greyer (compar) (greyest (superl)))

1. (in colour) → gris; [face, complexion] → ceniciento; [hair, beard] → gris, canoso, cano (liter); [horse] → rucio
the sky was grey → el cielo estaba gris
dark grey → gris oscuro adj inv
light grey → gris claro adj inv
a light grey shirt → una camisa gris claro
he's very grey for his age → tiene el pelo muy gris or canoso para su edad
to have grey hair → tener el pelo gris or canoso
to go grey [hair] → volverse gris or canoso
she's going grey → le están saliendo canas
to turn grey [person, face] → palidecer

2. (= bleak) [place, day] → gris
the future looked grey → el futuro se presentaba sombrío

3. (= boring) [person] → gris
people are fed up with stereotype politicians, the men in grey suits → la gente está cansada de los políticos estereotipados, los personajes incoloros

4. [pound, vote] → de la tercera edad

B. N

1. (= colour) → gris m
dressed in grey → vestido de gris

2. (= horse) → rucio m

C. VI [hair] → encanecer
he was greying at the temples → se le estaban encaneciendo las sienes

D. CPD grey area N (= unclear area) → área f poco definida, área f gris; (= intermediate area) → área f intermedia
it's rather a grey area → es un área poco definida or bastante gris
grey friar N
see friar grey matter N (Anat, hum) → materia f gris
grey mullet N → mújol m
grey seal N → foca f gris
grey squirrel N → ardilla f gris
grey wolf N → lobo m gris

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

grey

[ˈgreɪ] (British) gray (US)

adj

[hair] → gris(e); [eyes] → gris(e); [clothes] → gris(e)
She's got grey hair → Elle a les cheveux gris.
to go grey → grisonner
He's going grey → Il grisonne.

(= dismal) → gris(e)

(= boring) → terne

n (= colour) → gris mgrey area (British) gray area (US) n → zone f flouegrey-haired [ˌgreɪˈhɛə^rd] (British) gray-haired (US) adj → aux cheveux gris

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

grey

, (US) gray

adj (+er)

(in colour) → grau; (= ashen) person, face → grau, fahl; weather, sky, day → grau, trüb; to go or turn grey (person, hair) → grau werden, ergrauen (geh); their faces were grey with fatigue → sie or ihre Gesichter waren ganz blass vor Müdigkeit; men in grey suits anonyme, aber mächtige Hintermänner

(= bleak) world, year, days, outlook → grau, trostlos, öde

(= anonymous) person → grau, gesichtslos; place → grau, anonym

n (= colour) → Grau nt; subtle greys → zarte Grautöne pl

vi (person, hair) → grau werden, ergrauen (geh); he was greying at the temples → seine Schläfen wurden grau, seine Schläfen ergrauten

vt (Comput) button, function → ab- or ausgeblenden, deaktivieren; greyed (out) → deaktiviert

grey

, (US) gray:

grey area

n (fig) → Grauzone f

greybeard, (US) graybeard

n → Graubart m

grey cells

pl (inf) (little) grey → (kleine) graue Zellen pl (inf)

grey eminence

n → graue Eminenz

grey-haired

adj → grauhaarig

grey

, (US) gray:

greylag (goose)

n → Graugans f, → Wildgans f

grey market, (US) gray market

n (Comm) → grauer Markt

grey matter, (US) gray matter

n (Med inf) → graue Zellen pl

grey mullet

n → Meeräsche f

grey

, (US) gray:

grey parrot

n → Graupapagei m

grey seal

n → Kegelrobbe f

grey squirrel

n → Grauhörnchen nt

grey wolf

n → Timberwolf f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

grey

[greɪ]

1. adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) → grigio/a; (complexion) → smorto/a; (outlook, prospect) → poco roseo/a
to go grey → diventar grigio/a
to go grey with fear (person) → sbiancarsi in viso dalla paura
grey skies → cielo grigio

2. n (colour) → grigio

3. vi (hair) → diventare grigio/a

grey

(especially American) gray (grei) adjective

1. of a mixture of colour between black and white. Ashes are grey.

2. grey-haired. He's turning/going grey.

noun

1. (any shade of) a colour between black and white. Grey is rather a dull colour.

2. something grey in colour. I never wear grey.

verb

to become grey or grey-haired.

ˈgreyish adjective

close to grey. a greyish-green dress.

grey

→ رَمَاديّ šedý grå grau γκρίζος gris harmaa gris siv grigio 灰色の 회색의 grijs grå szary cinzento серый grå สีเทา gri xám 灰色的

References in classic literature ?

With these were the two dappled brutes and that grey, horribly crooked creature who said the Law, with grey hair streaming down its cheeks, heavy grey eyebrows, and grey locks pouring off from a central parting upon its sloping forehead,--a heavy, faceless thing, with strange red eyes, looking at us curiously from amidst the green.

"The Thing that bled, and ran screaming and sobbing,--that is dead too," said the grey Thing, still regarding me.

"It is this way, Man who walked in the Sea," said the grey Thing.

Then I saw the grey Thing returning cautiously through the trees.

View in context

The grey cub's eyes had not been open long, yet already he could see with steady clearness.

It was in this way that the grey cub learned other attributes of his mother than the soft, soothing, tongue.

The fascination of the light for the grey cub increased from day to day.

In fact, the grey cub was not given to thinking--at least, to the kind of thinking customary of men.

View in context

Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed its chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle.

Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the attack which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on the occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains.

Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and in having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to all who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful.

Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of officers.