Grey

Grey or gray (see spelling differences) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is a color "without color". It is the color of a cloud-covered sky, of ash and of lead.

The first recorded use of grey as a color name in the English language was in AD 700.Grey is the dominant spelling in European and Commonwealth English, although gray remained in common usage in the UK until the second half of the 20th century.Gray has been the preferred American spelling since approximately 1825, although grey is an accepted variant.

In Europe and the United States, surveys show that grey is the color most commonly associated with neutrality, conformity, boredom, uncertainty, old age, indifference, and modesty. Only one percent of respondents chose it as their favorite color.

Etymology

Grey comes from the Middle English grai or grei, from the Anglo-Saxon graeg, and is related to the German grau. The first recorded use of grey as a color name in the English language was in AD 700.