greige

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English

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Etymology

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The adjective is borrowed from French grège and Middle French grège (of silk: raw, unfinished; of the colour of such silk, greyish-beige, adjective), from Italian greggio (raw, unrefined; unbleached); further etymology uncertain,[1][2] possibly from Vulgar Latin *gregius (as in lana *gregia (untreated wool as obtained from the flock)), from grex (flock (of sheep, etc.)),[3] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- (flock, herd; to gather).

The noun is borrowed from French grège and Middle French grège (raw or unfinished silk; the colour of such silk, greyish-beige, noun), from Italian greggio: see above.

The spelling of the word is probably influenced by beige, likely because it was thought to be a blend of grey and beige.[1]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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greige (not comparable)

  1. (textiles) Of clothing, textiles, etc.: neither bleached nor dyed, nor otherwise fully processed; unfinished.
    The rolls of greige cloth sat on the factory floor waiting to be printed.
  2. Of a colour like that of unbleached or undyed fabric, between grey and beige.
    • 2009 June 29, Caitlin Moran, “Sorry Star Wars fans, but Ghostbusters is the best film ever made”, in The Times[1], London: News UK, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-04-11:
      To those who still deludedly think they prefer Star Wars over Ghostbusters, all I need to ask you is this: you don't really want to be a Jedi, do you? In a greige cowl, getting off with your sister, without a single gag across three films?

Alternative forms

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Translations

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Noun

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greige (countable and uncountable, plural greiges)

  1. A colour like that of unbleached or undyed fabric between grey and beige, closely akin to taupe.
    greige:  
    • 1943, S[idney] J[oseph] Perelman, “Bend Down, Sister”, in The Dream Department, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →OCLC, page 74:
      Brilliant, sparkling reds will complement the bright, new beauty of Fall fashions and accent the subtle reserve of pale Priority beiges and greiges.
    • 1959, Paint, Oil and Chemical Review, volume 122, Chicago, Ill.: Trade Review Co., →OCLC, page 12, column 2:
      The rise of the neutral family of greige colors has put the decorating emphasis squarely on accents. The August issue of Better Homes & Gardens, for example, features an article showing which accents look best with greiges and other popular colors.
    • 2005 September, Lauri Ward, “Views on Retirement: Moving from Coast to Coast”, in Home Therapy: Fast, Easy, Affordable Makeovers (A Perigee Book), Perigee trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Group, published September 2006, →ISBN, page 256:
      To accessorize the server, we arranged a grouping of mahogany candlesticks in a variety of interesting shapes, a small greige-colored vase, and a platter that incorporates the colors of the candlesticks as well as the greige of the vase.
    • 2022 May 25, Elle Hunt, “It’s not beige, it’s not grey: it’s greige – and it’s why all our houses look the same”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-09-08:
      Canadian colour consultants The Paint People recently reached the same conclusion, declaring on YouTube “the death of greige: a paint colour category that has absolutely dominated interior design for well over a decade”.
  2. (textiles, archaic) Clothing, textiles, etc., which have neither been bleached nor dyed, nor otherwise fully processed; greige goods.
    Synonyms: gray goods, grey goods

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References

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