Middle English Dictionary Entry
grei adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | grei adj. & n. Also greȝe, greiȝe, grai, græ- & (in names only) gra-. |
| Etymology | OE (cp. WS grǣg, A grēg) & ON (cp. OI grār). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Ash-colored, flint-colored, dull, gray; of cloth: gray, drab; of a man: gray-haired; ~ hered, ~ hore, ~ hored, gray-haired, hoary; ~ her, an old man; ~ tauier, one who taws pelts gray; (b) of morning light: dim, gray, early; (c) of religious orders: ~ abbeie, a Cistercian abbey; ~ frer, a Franciscan friar; ~ freres, a Franciscan convent; ~ monk, a Cistercian monk; (d) of copper ore: native, like fahlore; ~ aumbre, ambergris; ~ bred, coarse bread (?of rye or oats); ~ chiken, ?gray hen; ~ gruel, coarse porridge; ~ hors (amblere); ~ sop; ~ ston, a gray monolith, boundary stone; ~ wax, ?unbleached wax; blak (mirk) ~, dark gray.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)3b : Her-in is religiun, nawt i þe wide hod..ne i þe greie [Nero: greȝe] cuuel.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)834 : Þe cat..kan climbe suþe wel; Þarmid he wereþ his greie uel.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1723 : Sep or got, haswed, arled or grei, Ben don fro iacob fer a-wei.
- (1381) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms217 : Will. Kyng, greytawyere.
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)339 : Þou gome of gret elde, þin hed is grei hored [vrr. grey hore, grayherd; rime: rored].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3317 : His rode was reed, his eyen greye as goos.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.162 : Charite..As proude of a peny as of a pounde of gold, And is as gladde of a goune of a graye russet As of a tunicle of tarse or of trye scarlet.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1696 : Holȝe were his yȝen..And al watz gray as þe glede wyth ful grymme clawres.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3185 : Wan he was of age An hundrid ȝere, with lokkis grey & hore.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)1351 : Two graihared men with face ful klere, mildely þare with þam met.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7256 : Beggers with these hodes wide..And greye clothis not full clene, But fretted full of tatarwagges.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)139 : Thou sal noght deme þe man has long lifid þof he gang with a stafe stoupand & be grai-harid.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)335 : Ther was the tiraunt with his fetheres donne And grey, I mene the goshauk.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)209 : Grey of colowre: Gresius, elbus, elbidus.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)172 : Bot in þe wodde schall he be; Sall he no thyng see Bot þe leues of the tree And þe greues graye.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)2184 : For thei that greyheryd be..Needs must more cunne.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)709 : 'What hyght thou falowe?' sayd the kynge..'And what thou,' he sayd, 'gray-here?'
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)254/818 : Of date stones, of the poudre of gray flynt.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)41 : She suld haue hir..mantyll of sylke and a circle of golde vpon hire gray hede.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)73 : The hed of petir is a brood face with mech her on his berd and þat is of grey colour be twix whit and blak.
- (1466) Paston4.230 : To John Dewe for grey lynen cloth and sylk frenge for the hers, vi l. xvi s. ii d.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)56b : Gray haryd: Canus.
- a1500(?a1375) Hermit & O.(Add 22577)32 : That othyr was a gode ermyte, Off grey clothyng was hys abyte.
- a1500 7 Sages(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)193/37 : Ancyllas spake fyrste before, An olde man and grey hore.
b
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.33 : Ofte morewen grei bigrowen, Seþ man þe day faire dowen, And ful briȝt on hende.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1492 : The bisy larke, messager of day, Salueth in hir song the morwe gray.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3098 : Whan þe larke..gynneth syng For to salue..Þe lusty goddesse of þe morwe gray.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.145 : Luk telliþ..in þe grey day [L valde diluculo] camen wymmen to se þe sepulcre.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2044 : Begynnys sone in þe gray day as any gleme springis, And so to sett of þe son sesid þai neuire.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)663 : Of alle þe men þat in parays were, As him þouȝte, greiȝe Monekes mest Ioye hadden þere.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.62 : Tuelf myle he ȝeode grete ynouȝ to a grei abbeye That me clipeth Clermareys, of greye monekes iwis.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10245 : He bigan ek greye monekes vaste aboute ssende; Vor gret raunson he esste of hom.
- a1350 Mon in þe mone (Hrl 2253)19 : He leneþ on is forke ase a grey frere.
- c1390 Vrn.Mir.Virg.(Vrn)166/2 : A Sexteyn was in an Abbely Of þe Ordre of Monkes grey.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)529 : Þan seyde a gray frere, 'Allas, sire abbot.'
- (1435) Doc.in Rec.B.Nottingham 2356 : There lyges betux ye Gray Freres and ye Watter of Leyne..vij garthyns yat longen to ye Comons.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)227/30 : Sche mett a Grey Frer, a worschepful clerk, a doctowr of diuinyte.
- c1440 St.Chris.(Thrn)987 : The kynge þer made a faire abbaye, And dyd þer-In monkes graye.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)422/36 : And in the same tyme maystur Randolf, the gray ffrere, was taken in the yle of Gernesey.
- (1451) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7849 : Item of the bousers of Lyncolne colage for a house at greyfreris yeat.
- (1464) Will Drayles in Antiq.8243 : I wylle that the Greye Fryeres of Yippiswych shalle haue of my goodes v marcs.
- (1469) Will Pembroke in Antiq.439 : xx li. to the grey Freres where my body shall lygh.
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)655 : And þeryn monkys gray To rede and synge tille domysday.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)351 : He..þoȝte to wende..To Dannysco, a grey abey, Ther leches wor.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)526 : Thomas Cudner, Doctor of Devinite and Wardyn of the gray freers in London.
d
- (1380) Will Carlisle in Cum.West.AS 9 [OD col.]143 : j equum graye.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.616 : This reue sat vp on a ful good stot That was al pomely grey.
- (1390) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.525/19 : Edmundo Bugge pro j equo grey ab ipso empto.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283a/a : Þe colour in hem [horses] is now reed, now blake, now whyte, and now grey [L canus], now dyuerse.
- (1421) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.502 : De Ertmer Swart pro vi di. barellis cupri grey pr. £iiii x s.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)173b/a : R[ecipe]..ambre grice i. grey ambre..be þer made vnguent.
- (1432) *Mun.B.Bridgewaterno.13 : For a Ii of grey Swope, iij d.
- (1445) Deed Yks.in YASRS 638 : [A mare of] myrkgray [colour].
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7156 : Hedyr I brought an ambeler gray.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)381 : Late lordes lyfe als þam liste, laddes as þam falles..Þay þe roughe of þe rye, þay þe rede whete, Þay þe grewell gray, & þay þe gude sewes.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)245/17 : Þis monke servid hym of passand gray bread & thyn potage & a little salte.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)2.253 : The grey hors, whil his gres groweth, May sterue for hunger, thus seyth the prouerbe.
- (1462) Will York in Sur.Soc.30254 : Lego..Johanni Tunstall..unum equum coloris le blak gray.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)27b : Yf þu may find no perterych take A grey chykyn preuely..And kest owte þe chekyn..Also hye as þu mayst þat sche may take it or it cum at þe grownde.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)18 : By this weyght ys sold copred and grey was, Poleyn and Rason and Spreuse wax.
- a1500 Reg.St.Bees in Sur.Soc.126 (Hrl 434)152 : Ita a fonte usque ad crossum Graesten [cp. 153: grossam grisam petram], et ab eodem Graesten usque ad alterum Graesten qui stat super fossatum.
2.
(a) Bright, shining, glinting; gleaming in a grayish or bluish color; (b) of eyes: bright, gleaming (of indeterminate color); (c) having a color other than gray: red, yellow, brown.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 Horn Child (Auch)847 : Þai sayled ouer þe flode so gray; In Inglond ariued were þay.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)140/293 : In daȝes sixe he made hyt Ryȝt..Sonne and mone and sterren greyȝe, Þat beþ so bryȝt.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.500 : Ther I was bred..And fostred in a roche of marbul gray.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8288 : Vnder þis tre þat ic of sai, A stapul was o marbul grai.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9886 : Þis castel..Grai and hard wit-vten hag; Dunward þan es it polist slight.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)430 : Uche hille watz þer hidde wyth yrez [read: ypez] ful graye.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1368 : Thoruȝ many halle and many riche tour..By many gre made of marbil grey.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)31a/a : Glaucus: yren grey.
- c1440-a1500 Eglam.(Schleich)1270 : In þe wawes grete and graye A gryffon bare my childe awaye.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)753 : Þe glowes of gray steel þat were with gold hemmyd.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1330 : He mas to graue sum in grete, & sum in gray marble.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)56b : Gray: glaucus.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)4219 : Two hundyrd knyghttes off grette araye Sayles on the flode so graye.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)270 : Grim arowes and graie with grounden hedes.
b
- ?a1300 Maximian (Dgb 86)266 : Were ich mon so ich was, Min heien so grei so glas, Min her so feir bihonge!
- a1350 Most i ryden (Hrl 2253)16 : Hyre eyȝen aren grete ant gray ynoh.
- a1350 A wayle whyt (Hrl 2253)24 : Gret hire wel, þat swete þing wiþ eȝenen gray.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5881 : Wyþ eȝene graye, and browes bent.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.152 : Hir nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.3974 : With camus nose, and eyen greye as glas.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4418 : Forth thei wente With yhen greye and browes bente, And wel arraied everych on.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)546 : Hir nose of good proporcioun, Hir yen grey as is a faucoun.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)943 : Hir nose was streiȝt and riȝt, Her iȝen gray as glas.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)344 : Þat lady..sare wepys for our sake with hir eghne graye.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)861 : Hys eyen grey as crystalle stone.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)935 : Þe lady was bryȝt as blosme on brere, With eyen gray, with louelych chere.
c
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)37 : Rufus color, an. gray.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)124/21,23 : The cerkyl or the roundel off the eye..ys sum-tyme graye lyke the ey off a catte, sumtyme lyke the coloure off the fyrmament qwan the aer ys clere, sumtyme blak grey lyke the eyn off doggys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)56b : Gray:..geluus.
3.
As noun: (a) an old man; (b) gray cloth, a gray garment.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2879 : Vnto Grekes conveyed was..This hoor gray in his char syttyng.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.127 : Tellyng his tale alwey, this olde greye.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)134 : A poore olde man cam walkyng by me..'I,' quod þis olde greye, 'Am heer.'
b
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)38/638 : Nis ha [Pride] nawt i claðes..ah under hwit oðer blac, & ase wel under grei as under geene, & aa ha luteð i þe heorte.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)181 : Thanne be it takyn of the burgeys for oon meole quyte but ij d., and of on grey ij d.
4.
(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.207].
Associated quotations
a
- (1198) CRR(2) 159 : Willelmus le Grai.
- (1198) Feet Fines Rich.I in Pipe R.Soc.2489 : Willelmus Grei.
- (1207) CRR(2) 562 : Ricardus Brito [essoniavit se] per Greiberd.
- (1243) Doc.in Sur.Soc.127 ()39 : Artur Grayfot.
- (c1273) Hundred R.Tower 2445b : Gilbertus Greyschanke.
- (c1273) Hundred R.Tower 2857a : Ricardus Greyberd.
- (1301) Pat.R.Edw.I605 : [Robert] le Gra, [merchant of York].
- (1311) Court R.Colchester 139 : Joan Grayday.
- (c1311) Rec.Norwich 1374 : Rog. Greyday.
- (1312) Cust.Battle Abbey in Camd.n.s.41143 : Terrae..Baldewyni le Grey.
- (1323) Pat.R.Edw.II288 : [William] Graberd.
- (1332) Sub.R.Lan.in LCRS 31.228 : Robertus Graybred.
- (1337) Pat.R.Edw.III437 : [John] Gra [of York].
- (1345) in Rymer's Foedera (1816-69)3.40 : Johannes de Grey de Codenore.
- (1379) Rec.Norwich 245 : John Greygoes.
- (1428) Feudal Aids 2346 : Radulfus Greyshank.
- -?-(1337) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9633 : Alanus Grayhare, mercer.
b
- (c1165) in Ekwall Dict.EPN194 : Grarigg.
- (1190-1206) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)124 : Graistan.
- (c1217) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)202 : Grastan.
- (a1300) EPNSoc.28 (Der.)260 : Grayhirst, Greyhyrst.
- (1336) in Ekwall PNLan.220 : Graythwayt.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)83 : Therof come trypyng to the kyng of Hongre, that all pepull which myȝth not lyȝttely come to the Playn of Salesbere, but the fox and the grey convent, schuld pray for all the olde schu solys.
Note: New cmpd. for 1.(c)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Diseases Horse (Yale 163)26 : Appulle grey is next best.
Note: New combination 'appel grei', = 'dapple grey' 'grey variegated with rounded spots or patches of a darker shade, said of horses' (OED).