grayback

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. [1913 Webster]

These gray and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks. --Sir I. Newton. [1913 Webster]

2. Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary. [1913 Webster]

3. Old; mature; as, gray experience. -- Ames. [1913 Webster]

4. gloomy; dismal. [PJC]

{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 {Gray 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 ({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} (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.), an African parrot ({Psittacus erithacus}), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in learning to talk. Also called {jako}.

{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 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. [1913 Webster]