gross
gross
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "gross" is /ɡroʊs/.
Syllable Breakdown
gross /ɡroʊs/
/ɡ/ - Voiced velar stop (The 'g' sound)
/r/ - Alveolar approximant (The 'r' sound)
/oʊ/ - Diphthong (The 'o' sound, as in go)
/s/ - Voiceless alveolar fricative (The 'ss' sound)
Word Form Variations
The word gross has several variations depending on its part of speech:
Noun:
Singular: gross (meaning a quantity of 144)
Plural: grosses (meaning multiple quantities of 144)
Adjective: gross (The form doesn't change, e.g., a gross error, the error was gross)
Comparative: grosser
Superlative: grossest
Verb:
Base Form: gross
Third-person singular present: grosses
Present Participle: grossing
Past Tense / Past Participle: grossed
Adverb: grossly (Formed by adding -ly to the adjective)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Total/Overall: Referring to an amount or sum before deductions, taxes, or expenses are taken out; the complete, overall total.
Synonyms: total, whole, entire, aggregate, complete
Antonyms: net, fractional, partial, deductible
Flagrant/Obvious: Conspicuously and unforgivably unacceptable; a substantial or egregious mistake or lack of sensitivity.
Synonyms: blatant, egregious, patent, sheer, obvious
Antonyms: minor, subtle, trivial, slight
Crude/Unrefined: Lacking in refinement, delicacy, or subtle quality; coarse or vulgar in nature.
Synonyms: coarse, crude, vulgar, unrefined, indelicate
Antonyms: refined, subtle, delicate, polished, sophisticated
Disgusting/Repulsive: Causing extreme distaste, revulsion, or unpleasantness; often used colloquially.
Synonyms: repulsive, revolting, disgusting, sickening, foul
Antonyms: appealing, pleasant, delicious, appetizing
Noun
A Quantity of 144: A unit of quantity equal to twelve dozen.
Synonyms: dozen (for 12), quantity, measure
Antonyms: unit, single (used to refer to one)
Total Earnings: The total amount of money earned or received before any deductions for taxes or costs.
Synonyms: earnings, revenue, proceeds, income (total)
Antonyms: net (income), loss, expenses
Verb
To Earn in Total: To bring in or earn a total amount of money before expenses or taxes are subtracted.
Synonyms: earn, yield, bring in, total, make
Antonyms: spend, disburse, lose, deduct
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of the word gross in use across various contexts:
1. Business and Finance (Adjective and Noun)
Newspaper/Online Publication (Adjective): "The company reported gross sales of 150 million for the quarter, though its \textbf{net} profit was significantly lower after factoring in operating costs and taxes."
Book (Noun - Quantity): "The shipping manifest listed twenty-five gross of pencils destined for the overseas distributor." (Example of the term meaning 144 units).
General Discourse (Adjective): "When you're comparing job offers, it's important to look at the gross salary first, just to get an idea of the total compensation before deductions."
2. Entertainment and Media (Verb and Adjective)
Online Publication (Verb): "The blockbuster film is expected to gross over $1 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-earning movies of the year." (Variety, July 2024)
General Discourse/Social Media (Adjective - Colloquial): "That scene in the horror movie where the alien creature hatches? Absolutely gross! I almost had to look away."
Book/Review (Adjective - Crude/Vulgar): "Many critics dismissed the comedian's latest stand-up special, calling its reliance on gross and outdated jokes a sign of creative laziness."
3. Law and Public Discourse (Adjective)
Newspaper/Online Publication (Adjective - Egregious/Flagrant): "The inquiry revealed a case of gross negligence on the part of management, leading directly to the safety incident." (The Guardian, April 2024)
General Discourse (Adjective - Error): "The campaign's complete misunderstanding of the local economy was a gross miscalculation that cost them the election."
4. Science and Anatomy (Adjective)
Textbook/Educational Material (Adjective - Overall/Large Scale): "Students will begin the semester by studying the gross anatomy of the human heart, identifying the major chambers and vessels visible without a microscope." (Example of gross meaning large-scale or macroscopic, as opposed to microscopic or fine anatomy.)
10 Famous Quotes Using Gross
"As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest." (Nelson Mandela)
"Love is a gross exaggeration of the difference between one person and everybody else." (George Bernard Shaw)
"The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country." (Robert Kennedy)
"The human mind is capable of excitement without the application of gross and violent stimulants." (William Wordsworth)
"I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating... because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition." (Fidel Castro)
"[The world is] an unweeded garden, / That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature / Possess it merely." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
"I'm ambitious. But if I weren't as talented as I am ambitious, I would be a gross monstrosity." (Madonna)
"The 3 types of terror: The Gross-out: the sight of a severed head tumbling down a flight of stairs, it's when the lights go out and something green and slimy splatters against your arm." (Stephen King)
"I've never done work for money ever. If your choices are based on grosses and the film doesn't do well, what does that mean?" (Tom Cruise)
"Kneeling and gesturing, turning your back on the flag and disrespecting the national anthem is gross, self-indulgent and moronic." (Miranda Devine)
Etymology
The word gross has a surprisingly long and varied history, rooted in a basic concept of being "large" or "whole."
Here is the etymology explained simply:
Original Root (Old French/Late Latin): The word comes from the Old French term gros, which itself derived from the Late Latin word grossus. The original, core meaning of grossus was simply "large," "thick," or "coarse."
First Known Meaning (Total/Whole): When it entered English around the 13th to 14th century, the first major meaning was "total," "entire," or "whole," especially when referring to an amount or weight that was complete, with nothing subtracted. This is the origin of phrases like "gross weight" (the weight of goods plus their container) and "gross income" (income before deductions).
The Quantity "144" (The Noun): In the 15th century, the French phrase douzaine grosse (literally "large dozen") was shortened to just gross. Because a "large dozen" meant twelve times twelve, the word took on its specific, technical meaning as a noun: a unit of 144 items.
The "Disgusting" Meaning (Modern Colloquialism): The common, everyday meaning of "disgusting," "repulsive," or "unpleasant" is a much more recent development, primarily emerging in American English in the mid-20th century. It evolved from the older sense of the word meaning "coarse" or "crude" (i.e., lacking refinement or delicacy), but was exaggerated into the current meaning of intense distaste.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Gross
Common Phrases & Collocations
Gross National Product (GNP) / Gross Domestic Product (GDP): The total value of all finished goods and services produced by a country in a specified time period (GNP includes net income from abroad; GDP is strictly domestic).
Gross Income / Gross Pay: The total amount of money earned before any taxes, deductions, or expenses are taken out.
Gross Weight: The total weight of a product or shipment, including the container or packaging.
Gross Misconduct: Behavior so unacceptable or serious that it is grounds for immediate dismissal from employment.
Gross Negligence: A conscious and voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, likely to cause foreseeable injury or harm to persons, property, or rights.
Gross Indecency: An outdated legal term referring to sexual acts considered obscene or improper.
Idiomatic & Lesser-Known Phrases
To gross out: To cause someone to feel intense disgust or revulsion (e.g., "That horror movie really grossed me out.")
The gross: Used to refer to an amount equal to twelve dozen, or 144 units (e.g., "He ordered a gross of buttons.")
A gross error: A substantial, blatant, or obvious mistake (often used in formal contexts to mean egregious).
A gross exaggeration: An excessive or wildly inaccurate overstatement of the truth.
Gross anatomy: In biology, the study of the features of an organism that are visible without the aid of a microscope (i.e., the large-scale structures).
Gross profits: A company's revenue minus its Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), before operating expenses and taxes are deducted.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of gross from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
