gray Hear it!

gray¹ Definition

gray (grā)

adjective

  1. of a color that is a mixture or blend of black and white
    1. darkish; dull
    2. dreary; dismal
    1. having hair that is gray
    2. old, or old and respected
  4. wearing gray garments or uniforms
  5. designating a vague, intermediate area, as between morality and immorality

Etymology: ME grai < OE græg, akin to Ger grau < IE base *ĝher-, to shine, gleam > Czech zříti, to see

noun

  1. an achromatic color made by mixing or blending black and white
  2. an animal or thing colored gray; esp., a gray horse
  3. gray or unbleached fabric or clothing
    1. a person or group wearing a gray uniform
    2. a Confederate soldier

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to make or become gray

gray¹ Related Forms

gray′ly adverb gray′·ness noun

gray² Definition

gray (grā)

noun

the basic unit of an absorbed dose of radiation in the SI system, equal to the absorption of one joule of energy per kilogram of material (100 rads): abbrev. Gy

Gray Definition

Gray (grā)

  1. Gray, Asa 1810-88; U.S. botanist

  2. Gray, Thomas 1716-71; Eng. poet

gray Synonyms

gray

modif.

  1. Between black and white

    neutral, dusky, silvery, livid, dingy, somber, sere, shaded, drab, pale, colorless, leaden, grayish, ashen, grizzly, grizzled.

    Hues of gray include: Oxford gray, blue-gray, silver-gray, smoke-gray, slate, bat, mouse-colored, iron-gray, lead, charcoal, ash-gray, pepper and salt, grizzled, powder, dusty, smoky, pearl, taupe, heather, battleship gray.

  2. Aged

    grizzled, hoary, decrepit; see old 1, 2.

gray Synonyms

gray

n.

shade, drabness, dusk.

gray Usage Examples

Converse of object

draw: Those children who drew grays did not report watching more television.

Adjective modifier

neutral: Pastels and lively colors were worn, but neutral grays, browns, and blues were more common.

Modifies a noun

  • goo: For example, one common concern among those who study nanotechnology is the problem of the " gray goo.
  • whale: Mel's burning desire was to see the gray whales.
  • squirrel: A gray squirrel runs away from a group of mushrooms.
  • mare: A saddled gray mare stands nearby, well lathered.
  • hair: Who brings old men gray hairs with sorrow to the grave?
  • beard: We begun to come to trees with Spanish moss on them, hanging down from the limbs like long, gray beards.

Modifying Another Word

  • usually: The soil in these pools is usually gray, sandy clay, which will crack when dried.
  • very: Friday We wake up to a very gray day.
  • not: In Windows Explorer or the OpdiTracker application window, make sure the unit is displayed in the list and not grayed out.
  • mostly: Well, it may be appropriate the publisher chose a rainbow of mostly grays to incase the effort.
  • all: Back to 3D Graphics The Apocalypse 5D Sonic Display Properties options are all grayed out.
  • out: This selection must be deemphasized ( grayed out ) when the window is in its normal state.

Used with adjective complement

  • turn: He was a tall man with a great girth, in Dominican robes, with black hair turning gray.
  • go: The sounds fade, and my sight goes gray.
  • appear: Pixels where the two images were equal are zero, and appear as gray.
  • paint: Note: If the icon doesn't load, the border area is painted gray.

Preposition: in

color: These seemed to be closed and gray in color, same as the rest of the object.

Preposition: of

morning: Then, suddenly, in the gray of the morning, the words came back to me.