greet

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English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Old English grētan, from Proto-Germanic *grōtijaną. Cognate with Dutch groeten, German grüßen. Compare Old Saxon grotian, Old Frisian greta, Old High German gruozen.

Verb[edit]

greet (third-person singular simple present greets, present participle greeting, simple past and past participle greeted)

  1. To address with salutations or expressions of kind wishes; to salute; to hail; to welcome; to accost with friendship; to pay respects or compliments to, either personally or through the intervention of another, or by writing or token.
    • 1591, William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act III, scene 1
      My lord, the mayor of London comes to greet you.
    • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, The House Behind the Cedars, Chapter I,
      Warwick observed, as they passed through the respectable quarter, that few people who met the girl greeted her, and that some others whom she passed at gates or doorways gave her no sign of recognition; from which he inferred that she was possibly a visitor in the town and not well acquainted.
  2. To come upon, or meet, as with something that makes the heart glad.
    • 1707, Joseph Addison, Rosamond, Act I, scene 4
      In vain the spring my senses greets.
  3. To accost; to address.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Alexander Pope to this entry?)
  4. (intransitive) To meet and give salutations.
  5. To be perceived by (somebody).
    • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52: 
      From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
    A brilliant dawn greeted her as she looked out the window.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English greet, grete (“great”).

Adjective[edit]

greet (comparative more greet, superlative most greet)

  1. (obsolete except Scotland) Great.

Etymology 3[edit]

From a blend of two Old English verbs, grētan (cognate with Swedish gräta', Danish græde) and grēotan (of uncertain ultimate origin), both ‘weep, lament’.

Verb[edit]

greet (third-person singular simple present greets, present participle greeting, simple past and past participle greeted or grat)

  1. (Scotland, Northern England) To weep; to cry.
    • 1933, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Cloud Howe, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 312:
      And damn't! if he didn't take down her bit things and scone her so sore she grat like a bairn [...].
    • 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin 2009, p. 2:
      My maw went potty and started greeting.

Noun[edit]

greet (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) Mourning, weeping, lamentation.

References[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Adjective[edit]

greet (comparative greter, superlative gretest)

  1. great (large, significant)

Descendants[edit]

Scots[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From a blend of two Old English verbs, grētan (cognate with Swedish gråta', Danish græde) and grēotan (of uncertain ultimate origin), both ‘weep, lament’.

Verb[edit]

tae greet (third-person singular simple present greets, present participle greetin, simple past grat or grettit, past participle grutten)

  1. to weep, lament

Noun[edit]

greet (uncountable)

  1. cry, lamentation

Etymology 2[edit]

Adjective[edit]

greet (comparative greeter, superlative greetest)

  1. Alternative form of great.
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