gray hen

gray hen
    n 1: female black grouse [syn: {greyhen}, {grayhen}, {grey hen},
         {gray hen}, {heath hen}]
    

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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Heath \Heath\ (h[=e]th), n. [OE. heth waste land, the plant
   heath, AS. h[=ae][eth]; akin to D. & G. heide, Icel.
   hei[eth]r waste land, Dan. hede, Sw. hed, Goth. hai[thorn]i
   field, L. bucetum a cow pasture; cf. W. coed a wood, Skr.
   ksh[=e]tra field. [root]20.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A low shrub ({Erica vulgaris} or {Calluna vulgaris}),
          with minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of
          pink flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms,
          thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It
          is also called {heather}, and {ling}.
      (b) Also, any species of the genus {Erica}, of which
          several are European, and many more are South African,
          some of great beauty. See Illust. of {Heather}.
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   2. A place overgrown with heath; any cheerless tract of
      country overgrown with shrubs or coarse herbage.
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            Their stately growth, though bare,
            Stands on the blasted heath.          --Milton
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   {Heath cock} (Zool.), the blackcock. See {Heath grouse}
      (below).

   {Heath grass} (Bot.), a kind of perennial grass, of the genus
      {Triodia} ({Triodia decumbens}), growing on dry heaths.

   {Heath grouse}, or {Heath game} (Zool.), a European grouse
      ({Tetrao tetrix}), which inhabits heaths; -- called also
      {black game}, {black grouse}, {heath poult}, {heath fowl},
      {moor fowl}. The male is called {heath cock}, and
      {blackcock}; the female, {heath hen}, and {gray hen}.

   {Heath hen}. (Zool.) See {Heath grouse} (above).

   {Heath pea} (Bot.), a species of bitter vetch ({Lathyrus
      macrorhizus}), the tubers of which are eaten, and in
      Scotland are used to flavor whisky.

   {Heath throstle} (Zool.), a European thrush which frequents
      heaths; the ring ouzel.
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