greet

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English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English greten, from Old English grētan, from Proto-Germanic *grōtijaną. Cognate with West Frisian groetsje, Low German gröten, Dutch groeten, German grüßen (Old High German gruozen), Old Saxon grotian, Old Frisian greta.

Verb[edit]

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

  1. (transitive) To welcome in a friendly manner, either in person or through another means e.g. writing or over the phone/internet
    • 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. (transitive) To arrive at or reach, or meet (talking of something which brings joy)
    • 1707, Joseph Addison, Rosamond, Act I, scene 4
      In vain the spring my senses greets.
  3. (transitive) 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. (transitive) To be perceived by (somebody).
    • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in 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 outside Scotland) Great.

Etymology 3[edit]

From a blend of two Old English verbs, grētan, grǣtan (cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish gråta, Norwegian Bokmål gråte, Danish græde) from Proto-Germanic *grētaną; and of Old English grēotan (itself from Proto-Germanic *greutaną), both meaning ‘to weep, lament’.

Verb[edit]

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

  1. (Scotland, Northern England) To weep; to cry.
    • 1933, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Cloud Howe, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), page 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, page 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]

FWOTD – 2 November 2015

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]

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

  1. to weep, lament
    • 2008, Gordon Jarvie, Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales from Burns to Buchan, Penguin UK, ISBN 0141900202.
      Then Sandy jumpit oot the boat, an he ran an ran greetin an sobbin an sobbin an greetin. An when he ran up tae the fairm, this ceilidh's still gaun on, see? an the pot o sowens is still on the fire! An he cam in howlin an greetin an sobbin, an the laird says tae him, ‘Whit's adae wi ye, Sandy?’
      (please add an English translation of this quote)
    • 2013, Donal McLaughlin, translating Pedro Lenz, Naw Much of a Talker, Freight Books 2013, page 5:
      Thinking o Regula hid me greetin aw ae a sudden.

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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