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Webster 1913 Edition

Gray

Gray

(grā)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Grayer
;
sup
erl.
Grayest
.]
[OE.
gray
, grey, AS.
grǣg
,
grēg
; akin to D.
graauw
, OHG.
grāo
, G.
grau
, Dan.
graa
, Sw.
grå
, Icel.
grār
.]
[Written also
grey
.]
1.
any color of neutral hue between white and black; white mixed with black, as the color of pepper and salt, or of ashes, or of hair whitened by age; sometimes, a dark mixed color;
as, the soft
gray
eye of a dove
.
These
gray
and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks.
Sir I. Newton.
2.
Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.
3.
Old; mature;
as,
gray
experience
.
Ames.
Gray antimony
(Min.)
,
stibnite.
–
Gray buck
(Zool.)
,
the chickara.
–
Gray cobalt
(Min.)
,
smaltite.
–
Gray copper
(Min.)
,
tetrahedrite.
–
Gray duck
(Zool.)
,
the gadwall; also applied to the female mallard.
–
Gray falcon
(Zool.)
the peregrine falcon.
–
Gray Friar
.
See
Franciscan
, and
Friar
.
–
Gray hen
(Zool.)
,
the female of the blackcock or black grouse. See
Heath grouse
.
–
Gray mill
or
Gray millet
(Bot.)
,
a name of several plants of the genus
Lithospermum
; gromwell.
–
Gray mullet
(Zool.)
any one of the numerous species of the genus
Mugil
, or family
Mugilidæ
, found both in the Old World and America; as the European species (
Mugilidæ capito
, and
Mugilidæ auratus
), the American striped mullet (
Mugilidæ albula
), and the white or silver mullet (
Mugilidæ Braziliensis
). See
Mullet
.
–
Gray owl
(Zool.)
,
the European tawny or brown owl (
Syrnium aluco
). The great gray owl (
Ulula cinerea
) inhabits arctic America.
–
Gray parrot
(Zool.)
,
an African parrot (
Psittacus erithacus
), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in learning to talk. Also called
jako
.
–
Gray pike
.
(Zool.)
See
Sauger
.
–
Gray snapper
(Zool.)
,
a Florida fish; the sea lawyer. See
Snapper
.
–
Gray snipe
(Zool.)
,
the dowitcher in winter plumage.
–
Gray whale
(Zool.)
,
a rather large and swift whale of the northern Pacific (
Eschrichtius robustus
, formerly
Rhachianectes glaucus
), having short jaws and no dorsal fin. It grows to a length of 50 feet (someimes 60 feet). It was formerly taken in large numbers in the bays of California, and is now rare; – called also
grayback
,
devilfish
, and
hardhead
. It lives up to 50 or 60 years and adults weigh from 20 to 40 tons.

Gray

(grā)
,
Noun.
1.
A gray color; any mixture of white and black; also, a neutral or whitish tint.
2.
An animal or thing of gray color, as a horse, a badger, or a kind of salmon.
Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day.
That coats thy life, my gallant
gray
.
Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1828 Edition

Gray

GRAY

,
Adj.
[This is probably the name given to the Greeks, on account of their fair complexion compared with the Asiatics and Africans. [See Europe.] 'Keto bore to Phorcus the Graiae with fair cheeks, white from their birth, and hence they were called Graiae.' The Greek word is rendered an old woman, and in this passage of Hesiod, is supposed to mean certain deities. The probability is, that it is applied to an old woman, because she is gray. But the fable of Hesiod is easily explained by supposing the author to have had in his mind some imperfect account of the origin of the Greeks.]
1.
White, with a mixture of black.
These gray and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks.
2.
White; hoary; as gray hair. We apply the word to hair that is partially or wholly white.
3.
Dark; of a mixed color; of the color of ashes; as gray eyes; the gray-eyed morn.
4.
Old; mature; as gray experience.

GRAY

,
Noun.
A gray color.
1.
A badger.

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