Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » gross

gross

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

The definition of gross is something that is foul, crude or very bad.

(adjective)

An example of gross is day-old vomit on the ground.
An example of gross is a person who curses every other word.

Gross is defined as earnings before taxes and expenses, or twelve dozen.

(noun)

An example of gross is the $400 dollars a person earns making $10 an hour at their full-time job for working 40 hours.
An example of a gross is 144 cupcakes.

Gross means to earn a certain amount of money before expenses or taxes are taken out.

(verb)

An example of gross is making $25 for giving a friend a hair cut.

See gross in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

big or fat and coarse-looking; corpulent; burly
glaring; flagrant; very bad: a gross miscalculation
dense; thick
1. lacking fineness, as in texture
2. lacking fine distinctions or specific details
lacking in refinement or perception; insensitive; dull
vulgar; obscene; coarse: gross language
Slang unpleasant, disgusting, offensive, etc.
with no deductions; total; entire: gross income
Archaic evident; obvious

Origin: ME grose < OFr gros, big, thick, coarse < LL grossus, thick

noun

pl. grosses overall total, as of income, before deductions are taken
pl. gross twelve dozen

Origin: ME groos < OFr grosse, orig. fem. of gros

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to earn (a specified total amount) before expenses are deducted

Related Forms:

grossly adverb
grossness noun

See gross in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective gross·er, gross·est

a. Exclusive of deductions; total: gross profits. See Synonyms at whole.
b. Unmitigated in any way; utter: gross incompetence.
Glaringly obvious: gross injustice. See Synonyms at flagrant.
a. Brutishly coarse, as in behavior; crude: “It is futile to expect a hungry and squalid population to be anything but violent and gross” (Thomas H. Huxley).
b. Offensive; disgusting.
c. Lacking sensitivity or discernment; unrefined:
d. Carnal; sensual.
a. Overweight; corpulent.
b. Dense; profuse.
Broad; general: the gross outlines of a plan.

noun

pl. gross·es The entire body or amount, as of income, before necessary deductions have been made.
pl. gross gross Abbr. gr. or gro. A group of 144 items; 12 dozen.

transitive verb grossed, gross·ing, gross·es

To earn as a total income or profit before deductions.

Phrasal Verb: gross out Slang To fill with disgust; nauseate: “The trick in making a family film . . . is finding ways to interest grown-ups without boring, confusing, or grossing out the younger set” (Christian Science Monitor).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English, large

Origin: , from Old French gros

Origin: , from Late Latin grossus, thick

Origin: . N., sense 2, Middle English grosse

Origin: , from Old French grosse (douzain), large (dozen)

Origin: , feminine of gros

Related Forms: