from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Gray \Gray\ (gr[=a]), a. [Compar. {Grayer}; superl. {Grayest}.]
[OE. gray, grey, AS. gr[=ae]g, gr[=e]g; akin to D. graauw,
OHG. gr[=a]o, G. grau, Dan. graa, Sw. gr[*a], Icel. gr[=a]r.]
[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.
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These gray and dun colors may be also produced by
mixing whites and blacks. --Sir I.
Newton.
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2. Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.
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3. Old; mature; as, gray experience. -- Ames.
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4. gloomy; dismal.
[PJC]
{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 {Mugilid[ae]}, found both in the
Old World and America; as the European species
({Mugilid[ae] capito}, and {Mugilid[ae] auratus}), the
American striped mullet ({Mugilid[ae] albula}), and the
white or silver mullet ({Mugilid[ae] 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.
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