gray
gray — adjective
1. having a neutral color that sits in the middle of the black-to-white range, like
having a neutral color that sits in the middle of the black-to-white range, like the color of ash, smoke, or a cloudy sky; also used to describe something dull, cheerless, ordinary, or lacking a clear boundary between two categories.
Shanti wrapped a soft gray scarf around her neck before stepping out into the cold.
color adjective modifying a concrete noun
The morning sky was gray and heavy with clouds after the storm passed.
Élise felt her daily routine had become gray and monotonous over the years.
The legal question falls into a gray area where no previous court ruling applies.
An old gray cat slept on the windowsill, undisturbed by the rain outside.
- ashen
suggests a paler, sickly gray, often describing skin tone rather than objects
- silver
a lighter, shiny gray, often with a metallic or positive connotation
- drab
a dull, brownish gray; more negative and associated with lack of visual interest
- slate
a dark, bluish gray, especially for roofs, rocks, or storm clouds
用法筆記
Frequently used in the compound 'gray area' to mean an unclear or intermediate state between two defined positions. The spelling 'grey' is standard in British English across all meanings.
常見錯誤
gray — noun
1. a scientific unit for measuring how much ionizing radiation is taken in by a mat
a scientific unit for measuring how much ionizing radiation is taken in by a material or by living tissue, where one gray represents one joule of absorbed radiation per kilogram of matter; symbol Gy.
The patient received a total dose of thirty grays during her six-week radiation therapy.
countable: numeral + grays
Medical physicists carefully calculate each gray to avoid damaging healthy tissue near the tumor.
Exposure to more than five grays in a short period can cause radiation sickness in humans.
A typical CT scan of the chest delivers around seven milligrays to the patient.
文法句型
number + gray(s)
用法筆記
This sense is strictly technical. The unit is named after the British physicist Louis Harold Gray. Both 'gray' and 'Gy' are used in medical reports. The plural form 'grays' is standard.
常見錯誤
2. a neutral color formed by mixing black and white, like the color of ash or a clo
a neutral color formed by mixing black and white, like the color of ash or a cloudy sky; any shade ranging from near-white to near-black.
The walls of the gallery were painted in a soft gray that made the artwork stand out.
The painter mixed black and white to create different shades of gray on her palette.
collocation: shades of gray
Christopher chose a warm gray for the bedroom walls and a cooler shade for the hallway.
The cat's fur was a beautiful silvery gray with darker stripes along its back.
3. a soldier who served in the Confederate armies of the southern United States bet
a soldier who served in the Confederate armies of the southern United States between 1861 and 1865, named after the gray uniforms those troops wore; also used as a collective term for that army.
The museum display features a uniform coat that belonged to a young Confederate gray from Virginia.
Historical records suggest the Grays were often short on food and supplies by the final year of the war.
collective plural: the Grays
Local historians gathered to mark the spot where the Grays had made their last stand in 1865.
In the old photograph, her great-great-grandfather stood proudly in his gray uniform with other young grays from Georgia.
- Confederate
the standard historical term; 'gray' is a colloquial label based on uniform color
- Rebel
a common informal term for Confederate soldiers, sometimes considered partisan
- blue
a soldier in the Union army, from the blue uniform worn by federal troops
文法句型
the + Grays (collective)
用法筆記
This term is strongly tied to the American Civil War (1861–1865) and is generally used in historical writing rather than everyday speech. The opposing Union soldiers were called 'the Blues' because of their blue uniforms.
gray — verb
1. to gradually turn gray in color, most commonly describing hair as a person grows
to gradually turn gray in color, most commonly describing hair as a person grows older, or describing fabric, wood, or other materials as they age or are exposed to weather.
Tariq noticed that his hair was starting to gray around the temples after he turned forty.
The wooden fence had grayed after years of baking in the summer sun and washing in the winter rain.
intransitive: material ages and changes color
As Lien watched the old photograph curl at the edges, she saw how the colors had grayed with time.
Xiu's grandmother grayed early, her hair turning silver by the time she was fifty.
文法句型
[subject: hair / fabric / material] + gray
用法筆記
When describing hair turning gray, this verb is commonly used with 'start to' or 'begin to'. The participle 'graying' is also common as an adjective (e.g., 'a graying population').
常見錯誤
2. to cause something to become gray, usually by adding gray paint or through expos
to cause something to become gray, usually by adding gray paint or through exposure to conditions that change its original color to gray.
The factory smoke had grayed the white sheets that Jisoo's mother had hung on the line to dry.
transitive: pollution alters color of objects
Vinícius grayed the bright blue paint by mixing in a small amount of black and white.
Years of cigarette smoke had grayed the once cream-colored ceiling of the old library.
Repeated washing with harsh detergent had grayed Priya's favorite white blouse beyond repair.
文法句型
gray + [object: fabric, surface, material]
用法筆記
Less common than the intransitive sense (verb/1). The transitive use often appears in painting or in descriptions of pollution, aging, or weather effects on surfaces.
gray — idiom
1. Asa Gray (1810–1888), an American botanist who was a leading figure in the study
Asa Gray (1810–1888), an American botanist who was a leading figure in the study of North American plant species and a key supporter of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in the United States.
Asa Gray's textbook 'Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States' was widely used for decades.
The botanist Asa Gray corresponded regularly with Charles Darwin about plant distribution patterns.
biographical: 19th-century American scientist
Gray spent thirty years teaching botany at Harvard University and building its herbarium collection.
Asa Gray helped persuade American scientists to accept Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection.
用法筆記
This is a biographical entry, not an idiom or phrase. Asa Gray was one of the most influential American botanists of the 19th century. His surname 'Gray' is unrelated to the color word.
gray — idiom
1. Thomas Gray (1716–1771), an English poet best known for his poem 'Elegy Written
Thomas Gray (1716–1771), an English poet best known for his poem 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', one of the most quoted poems in the English language.
Thomas Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' contains the famous line 'Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife.'
biographical: 18th-century English poet
The poet Thomas Gray spent most of his academic life at Cambridge University without seeking fame or fortune.
Gray turned down the position of Poet Laureate because he preferred a quiet, private life of study.
Scholars continue to study Thomas Gray's letters for their insights into 18th-century literary culture.
用法筆記
This is a biographical entry, not an idiom or phrase. Gray was a key figure in English literature and his 'Elegy' is considered a masterpiece of the Graveyard School of poetry. His surname 'Gray' is unrelated to the color word.