- a variant spelling (now esp US) of grey
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
gray1 or grey /greɪ/USA pronunciation
adj., gray•er, gray•est or grey•er, grey•est, n.
adj.
n.
gray•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025adj.
- of a color between white and black;
having a neutral hue. - dull and dreary:gray skies.
- having gray hair:was prematurely gray.
- not clearly one thing or the other:[before a noun]the gray area between realism and abstraction.
n.
- [uncountable] a color intermediate between white and black.
- gray material or clothing: [uncountable]to dress in gray.[countable]dressed in grays and blues.
- [countable] a horse of a gray color.
gray•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
gray1
(grā),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est, n., v.
adj.
n.
v.t., v.i.
gray′ly, adv.
gray′ness, n.
gray2 (grā),USA pronunciation n. [Physics.]
Gray (grā),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025adj.
- of a color between white and black;
having a neutral hue. - dark, dismal, or gloomy:gray skies.
- dull, dreary, or monotonous.
- having gray hair;
gray-headed. - pertaining to old age;
mature. - Informal Termspertaining to, involving, or composed of older persons:gray households.
- old or ancient.
- indeterminate and intermediate in character:The tax audit concentrated on deductions in the gray area between purely personal and purely business expenses.
n.
- any achromatic color;
any color with zero chroma, intermediate between white and black. - something of this color.
- gray material or clothing:to dress in gray.
- an unbleached and undyed condition.
- American History(often cap.) a member of the Confederate army in the American Civil War or the army itself. Cf. blue (def. 5).
- a horse of a gray color.
- a horse that appears white but is not an albino.
v.t., v.i.
- to make or become gray.
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English grǣg; cognate with German grau
gray′ness, n.
gray2 (grā),USA pronunciation n. [Physics.]
- Physicsthe SI unit of absorbed dose, equal to the amount of ionizing radiation absorbed when the energy imparted to matter is 1 J/kg. Abbr.: Gy Cf. rad.
- named in honor of Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English radiobiologist 1975
Gray (grā),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical Thomas, 1716–71, English poet.
grey
(grā),USA pronunciation adj., -er, -est, n., v.t., v.i.
grey′ness, n.
Grey (grā),USA pronunciation n.Zane
(zān),USA pronunciation 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.
- gray1.
grey′ness, n.
Grey (grā),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical Charles, 2nd Earl, 1764–1845, British statesman: prime minister 1830–34.
- Biographical Sir Edward (Viscount Fallodon), 1862–1933, British statesman.
- Biographical Sir George, 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator: prime minister of New Zealand 1877–79.
- Biographical Lady Jane (Lady Jane Dudley), 1537–54, descendant of Henry VII of England; executed under orders of Mary I to eliminate her as a rival for the throne.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
the derived SI unit of absorbed ionizing radiation dose or kerma equivalent to an absorption per unit mass of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material. 1 gray is equivalent to 100 rads
Symbol: Gy
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Simon (James Holiday). 1936–2008, British writer: his plays include Butley (1971), The Common Pursuit (1988), Life Support (1997), and Japes (2001) Thomas. 1716–71, English poet, best known for his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white, that has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light greyish in colour or having parts or marks that are greyish dismal or dark, esp from lack of light; gloomy neutral or dull, esp in character or opinion having grey hair of or relating to people of middle age or above: grey power ancient; venerable
any of a group of grey tones grey cloth or clothing an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish
to become or make grey