Gray \Gray\, 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. 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 (Zo["o]l.), the chickara.
Gray cobalt (Min.), smaltite.
Gray copper (Min.), tetrahedrite.
Gray duck (Zo["o]l.), the gadwall; also applied to the
female mallard.
Gray falcon (Zo["o]l.) the peregrine falcon.
Gray Friar. See Franciscan, and Friar.
Gray hen (Zo["o]l.), the female of the blackcock or black
grouse. See Heath grouse.
Gray mill or millet (Bot.), a name of several plants of the
genus Lithospermum; gromwell.
Gray mullet (Zo["o]l.) 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 (M.
capito, and M. auratus), the American striped mullet
(M. albula), and the white or silver mullet (M.
Braziliensis). See Mullet.
Gray owl (Zo["o]l.), the European tawny or brown owl
(Syrnium aluco). The great gray owl (Ulula cinerea)
inhabits arctic America.
Gray parrot (Zo["o]l.), a parrot (Psittacus erithacus),
very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in
learning to talk.
Gray pike. (Zo["o]l.) See Sauger.
Gray snapper (Zo["o]l.), a Florida fish; the sea lawyer.
See Snapper.
Gray snipe (Zo["o]l.), the dowitcher in winter plumage.
Gray whale (Zo["o]l.), a rather large and swift California
whale (Rhachianectes glaucus), formerly taken in large
numbers in the bays; -- called also grayback,
devilfish, and hardhead.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) |