gross

views updated May 29 2018

gross / grōs/ • adj. 1. unattractively large or bloated: I feel fat, gross—even my legs feel flabby. ∎  large-scale; not fine or detailed: at the gross anatomical level. ∎  complete; blatant: a gross exaggeration. ∎  vulgar; unrefined: the duties we felt called upon to perform toward our inferiors were only gross, material ones. ∎ inf. very unpleasant; repulsive: it's disgusting and gross, but it's a fact.2. (of income, profit, or interest) without deduction of tax or other contributions; total: the gross amount of the gift was $1,000 the current rate of interest is about 6.1 percent gross. Often contrasted with net2 (sense 1). ∎  (of weight) including all contents, fittings, wrappings, or other variable items; overall: a projected gross takeoff weight of 500,000 pounds. ∎  (of a score in golf) as actually played, without taking handicap into account.• adv. without tax or other contributions having been deducted.• v. [tr.] produce or earn (an amount of money) as gross profit or income: the film went on to gross $8 million in the U.S.• n. 1. (pl. same) an amount equal to twelve dozen; 144: fifty-five gross of tins of processed milk.2. (pl. gross·es) a gross profit or income: the box-office grosses mounted.PHRASES: by the gross fig. in large numbers or amounts: impoverished Mexicans who were arrested here by the gross.PHRASAL VERBS: gross someone out inf. disgust someone, typically with repulsive or obscene behavior or appearance.DERIVATIVES: gross·ly adv. Freda was grossly overweight. gross·ness n.ORIGIN: Middle English (in the sense ‘thick, massive, bulky’): from Old French gros, grosse ‘large,’ from late Latin grossus.

Gross

views updated May 29 2018

GROSS

Great; culpable; general; absolute. A thing in gross exists in its own right, and not as an appendage to another thing. Before or without diminution or deduction. Whole; entire; total; as in the gross sum, amount, weight—as opposed to net. Not adjusted or reduced by deductions or subtractions.

Out of all measure; beyond allowance; flagrant; shameful; as a gross dereliction of duty, a gross injustice, gross carelessness ornegligence. Such conduct as is not to be excused.

gross

views updated May 14 2018

gross2 Late ME. groos (XIV) became common first in XV in senses ‘large, bulky’ (now obs. or dial.), †‘palpable, obvious’, †‘dense, thick’, ‘coarse’, ‘concerned with large masses’, — (O)F. gros, fem. grosse :- late L. grossus.

gross

views updated May 18 2018

gross1 twelve dozen. XV. — F. grosse, sb. use (sc. douzaine dozen) of fem. of gros great; see next.

gross

views updated Jun 08 2018

gross, grosse (Ger.). Great, large. grösser, greater.