Greek
Part of speech: adj
noun
Morphological type: simple
Topics: business
finance
Etymology: Inherited from Old English Grēcas (“Greeks”), variant of Crēcas, from Proto-West Germanic *Krēkō, from Latin Graecus of uncertain origin, perhaps derived from the toponym Γραῖα (Graîa) or from other Paleo-Balkanic forms from a tribal name Graii.
Greek in any case has the cognate Γραικός (Graikós), the mythological ancestor of the Γραίοι (Graíoi, “Graecians”). Germanic cognates include Dutch Griek, German Grieche. The ⟨g⟩ in English and Germanic cognates was restored under influence from French grec and classical Latin Graecus. The adjective dates to 14th-century Middle English, replacing Old English Grēċisċ (“Greekish”) and earlier Middle English Gregeis. In reference to fraternities and sororities, a clipping of earlier Greek-letter in reference to their usual names being initialisms of mottos in the Greek language. In reference to terms used to analysize financial derivatives, from their usual names consisting of Greek letters.
Inflected forms:
form: Greeker
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: Greekest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: Gr.
pos: adj
tags: alternative
abbreviation
form: Greeke
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: Greeks
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: Gr.
pos: noun
tags: alternative
abbreviation
form: Greeke
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: Of or relating to Greece, its people, its language, or its culture.
pos: adj
examples: Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.
Sanskrit, Greek, Slavonic, Germanic, and Celtic names were all of this type, but there are also shorter names formed from the compound ones; […].
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates promoted wine for various purposes, including reducing fevers and dressing wounds.
gloss: Synonym of incomprehensible, used for foreign speech or text, technical jargon, or advanced subjects.
pos: adj
tags: colloquial
figuratively
gloss: Of or relating to collegiate fraternities, sororities, or (uncommon) honor societies.
pos: adj
tags: US
not-comparable
examples: “Every single person is going to have a different experience watching this film,” she said when I asked about possibly labeling the Greek system as “toxic”.
gloss: A person from Greece or of Greek descent.
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: The Greeks believed the sun went round the earth.
gloss: Greek cuisine, traditional or representative Greek food.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: Synonym of gibberish, used for foreign speech or text, technical jargon, or advanced subjects.
pos: noun
tags: colloquial
figuratively
uncountable
examples: "I don't hear one word in ten that they say," continued Mrs. Abingdon; "it's Greek to me. However, ..."
"It's all Greek to me," said my companion at the outset, but as the warrior continued, his fears arose within him; it might be sentence of death—what did he know what it might not be?
preferred risk... family maintenance... 20-pay life. That's a bare sampling of the merchandise you're asked to pick and choose from. If it sounds like Greek to you, don't worry. It sounds like Greek to most people.
gloss: Synonym of lorem ipsum, dummy placeholder text used in greeking.
pos: noun
tags: colloquial
figuratively
metonymically
uncountable
gloss: A member of a collegiate fraternity or sorority.
pos: noun
tags: US
colloquial
countable
metonymically
examples: Was Joe a Greek in college?
gloss: A cunning rogue.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
slang
examples: The wind-up is, that the father becomes bankrupt; the wife and daughters town-traders; the sons Greeks, Fancy-swells, Conveyancers (pickpockets), or Cracksmen (house breakers), and the New Drop is the last drop they ever take.
When Greek meets Greek neither is wont to get much satisfaction.
gloss: A merry fellow.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
slang
gloss: Anal sex.
pos: noun
tags: slang
uncountable
examples: She is absolutely a total GFE, no limits, except no Greek. (Well...I say “no Greek” - - if she is really hot for you, and if she is really turned on in a long session, she might beg for a finger in her anus while you suck her clit, but she is just too tiny and tight for any “real meat” in the backdoor.)
“What's within reason?” “Hand-job, blow-job, full sex — straight, full service. Greek, maybe, if you're not too big. Golden shower, if you like, but not reverse. No hardsports. And absolutely nothing without.”
gloss: One of the Greeks, measures of derivative price sensitivity.
pos: noun
tags: countable
in-plural
uncountable
Synonyms: Greek
Grecian
Greeke
Hellene
Related words: Griko
Derived words: Greek fire
Greek active
Greekdom
Greek Empire
Greekess
Greek gift
Greek it
Greekland
Greekling
Greek passive
Translations: