gravy
pronunciation
How to pronounce gravy in British English:
UK [ˈgreɪvi]
How to pronounce gravy in American English:
US [ˈɡrevi]
-
- Noun:
- basically the juices that drip from cooking meats
- a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)
Word Origin
- gravy
- gravy: [14] To begin with, the word gravy signified a sort of spiced stock-based sauce served with white meat; it was not until the 16th century that its modern sense ‘meat juices’ or ‘sauce made from them’ emerged. Its origins are problematical. It is generally agreed that its v represents a misreading of an n in the Old French word, grané, from which it was borrowed (modern v was written u in medieval manuscripts, and was often very hard to distinguish from n); but what the source of grané was is not clear.The favourite candidate is perhaps grain (source of English grain), as if ‘sauce flavoured with grains of spice’, but graine ‘meat’ has also been suggested.=> grain
- gravy (n.)
- late 14c. (early 14c. in Anglo-French), from Old French grave, graue, apparently a misspelling of grané "sauce, stew," with -n- misread for -u- -- the character used for -v- in medial positions in words in medieval manuscripts. The French word probably originally meant "properly grained, seasoned," from Latin granum "grain, seed" (see grain (n.)). Meaning "money easily acquired" first attested 1910; gravy train (1909) originally was railroad slang for a short haul that paid well. Gravy-boat "small, deep dish for holding gravy or sauce" is from 1827.
Example
- 1. Chop parsley , drizzle gravy or add edible flowers .
- 2. Can 't you call it gravy ?
- 3. They will even pour gravy on your sandwiches if you let them .
- 4. It 's not holding back on the calories either with all that homemade gravy atop a buttered and grilled bun .
- 5. He says . " You doctors have been telling us to drink eight glasses of gravy a day ! "