gray
gray — 形容詞
1. having a neutral color that sits in the middle of the black-to-white range, like
灰色的
顏色介於黑與白之間，如煙或灰燼
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.
Shanti 在脖子圍上一條柔軟的灰色圍巾，才走進寒冷的戶外。
color adjective modifying a concrete noun
The morning sky was gray and heavy with clouds after the storm passed.
暴風雨過後，清晨的天空灰濛濛的，滿是烏雲。
Élise felt her daily routine had become gray and monotonous over the years.
Élise 覺得她的日常生活多年來已變得灰暗而單調。
The legal question falls into a gray area where no previous court ruling applies.
這個法律問題落在一個灰色地帶，沒有任何現有判例可以適用。
An old gray cat slept on the windowsill, undisturbed by the rain outside.
一隻老灰貓趴在窗臺上睡覺，不受窗外雨聲的打擾。
- 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 — 名詞
1. a scientific unit for measuring how much ionizing radiation is taken in by a mat
戈雷
輻射吸收劑量單位，符號 Gy
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.
那位病患在六週的放射治療期間，總共接受了三十戈雷的劑量。
countable: numeral + grays
Medical physicists carefully calculate each gray to avoid damaging healthy tissue near the tumor.
醫學物理師仔細計算每一戈雷的劑量，以免傷及腫瘤周圍的健康組織。
Exposure to more than five grays in a short period can cause radiation sickness in humans.
人體在短時間內暴露於超過五戈雷的輻射，可能會引發輻射病。
A typical CT scan of the chest delivers around seven milligrays to the patient.
一次典型的胸部電腦斷層掃描約提供七毫戈雷的輻射劑量給患者。
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
灰色
黑與白混合的中性顏色
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.
畫廊的牆壁漆上一層柔和的灰色，讓藝術品更加突出。
The painter mixed black and white to create different shades of gray on her palette.
畫家混合黑色和白色，在調色盤上調出深淺不同的灰色。
collocation: shades of gray
Christopher chose a warm gray for the bedroom walls and a cooler shade for the hallway.
Christopher 為臥室選了暖灰色，為走廊選了較冷的色調。
The cat's fur was a beautiful silvery gray with darker stripes along its back.
那隻貓的毛是漂亮的銀灰色，背上還有較深的條紋。
3. a soldier who served in the Confederate armies of the southern United States bet
南軍士兵
美國南北戰爭中邦聯軍隊的軍人
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.
這座博物館展示了一件來自維吉尼亞州年輕南軍士兵的制服外套。
Historical records suggest the Grays were often short on food and supplies by the final year of the war.
歷史文獻顯示，南軍在戰爭最後一年經常缺乏糧食和補給。
collective plural: the Grays
Local historians gathered to mark the spot where the Grays had made their last stand in 1865.
當地歷史學家聚集在1865年南軍最後一次頑抗的地點，舉行紀念活動。
In the old photograph, her great-great-grandfather stood proudly in his gray uniform with other young grays from Georgia.
在那張老照片中，她的曾曾祖父身穿灰色制服，與其他來自喬治亞州的年輕南軍士兵驕傲地站在一起。
- 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 — 動詞
1. to gradually turn gray in color, most commonly describing hair as a person grows
變灰；變花白
逐漸變成灰色，尤指頭髮變白
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.
Tariq 發現他四十歲以後，鬢角的頭髮開始變花白了。
The wooden fence had grayed after years of baking in the summer sun and washing in the winter rain.
那座木籬笆經過多年日曬雨淋，已經變成灰撲撲的顏色。
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.
Lien 看著那張老照片邊緣開始捲起，注意到原本鮮豔的色彩已隨著時間褪成灰暗。
Xiu's grandmother grayed early, her hair turning silver by the time she was fifty.
Xiu 的祖母很早就長出白髮，五十歲時頭髮已變成銀白色。
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
使變灰
把某物變成灰色
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.
工廠排放的煙霧把 Jisoo 母親晾在繩上的白床單燻成了灰色。
transitive: pollution alters color of objects
Vinícius grayed the bright blue paint by mixing in a small amount of black and white.
Vinícius 加入少量黑色和白色顏料，把那道亮藍色的漆調成了灰色。
Years of cigarette smoke had grayed the once cream-colored ceiling of the old library.
多年來的香煙煙霧，把圖書館原本米白色的天花板燻成了灰色。
Repeated washing with harsh detergent had grayed Priya's favorite white blouse beyond repair.
反覆使用強力洗衣精洗滌之後，Priya 最喜歡的白襯衫已經變灰，再也無法復原。
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 — 慣用語
1. Asa Gray (1810–1888), an American botanist who was a leading figure in the study
美植物學家
美國植物學家（1810–1888）
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.
Asa Gray 所著的《美國北部植物手冊》在數十年間被廣泛採用。
The botanist Asa Gray corresponded regularly with Charles Darwin about plant distribution patterns.
植物學家 Asa Gray 與 Charles Darwin 定期通信，討論植物的分布模式。
biographical: 19th-century American scientist
Gray spent thirty years teaching botany at Harvard University and building its herbarium collection.
Gray 在哈佛大學教授植物學長達三十年，並建立了該校的植物標本館。
Asa Gray helped persuade American scientists to accept Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection.
Asa Gray 幫助說服美國科學界接受 Darwin 的天擇演化論。
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 — 慣用語
1. Thomas Gray (1716–1771), an English poet best known for his poem 'Elegy Written
美植物學家
美國植物學家（1810–1888）
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.'
Asa Gray 所著的《美國北部植物手冊》在數十年間被廣泛採用。
biographical: 18th-century English poet
The poet Thomas Gray spent most of his academic life at Cambridge University without seeking fame or fortune.
植物學家 Asa Gray 與 Charles Darwin 定期通信，討論植物的分布模式。
Gray turned down the position of Poet Laureate because he preferred a quiet, private life of study.
Gray 在哈佛大學教授植物學長達三十年，並建立了該校的植物標本館。
Scholars continue to study Thomas Gray's letters for their insights into 18th-century literary culture.
Asa Gray 幫助說服美國科學界接受 Darwin 的天擇演化論。
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.