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.
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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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