Etymology dictionary
grandiose (adj.) — gravure (n.)
grandiose (adj.)
1828 (earlier as a French word in English), from French grandiose "impressive, grand in effect" (18c.), from Italian grandioso (which also was borrowed directly into English as a musical term), from Latin grandis "big" (see grand (adj.)). Related: Grandiosely.
grandiosity (n.)
1814, from French grandiosité; see grandiose + -ity.
grandly (adv.)
1650s, from grand (adj.) + -ly (2).
grandma (n.)
1793, shortening of grandmama (1749), childish or familiar form of grandmother (see grand- + mama).
grand mal
"convulsive epilepsy" (with loss of consciousness), 1842 as a French term in English, from French grand mal, literally "great sickness" (see grand (adj.)). Opposed to petit mal.
Grand Marnier (n.)
French cognac-based liqueur, 1901, from French grand "great" (see grand (adj.)) + Marnier-Lapostolle, name of the manufacturer.
grandmaster (n.)
as a chess title, 1927, from grand (adj.) in the sense "chief, principal" + master (n.). Earlier (as two words) a title in Freemasonry (1724) and in military orders of knighthood (1550s).
grandmother (n.)
early 15c., from grand- + mother (n.1), probably on analogy of French grand-mère. Replaced earlier grandame (c. 1200) and Old English ealdemodor.
grandmotherly (adj.)
1811, from grandmother + -ly (1).
Grand Old Party (n.)
see GOP.
grandpa (n.)
1814, shortening of grandpappa (1753), childish or familiar form of grandfather (see grand- + pa). Grandpappa is recorded from 1753, grandpop from 1860, grandpappy from 1853.
grandparent (n.)
1802, from grand- + parent (n.). Related: Grandparents; grandparental.
grand prix
1863, French, literally "great prize," originally in English in reference to the Grand Prix de Paris, international horse race for three-year-olds, run every June at Longchamps beginning in 1863.
grandsire (n.)
"a grandfather," late 13c., from Anglo-French graunt sire; see grand- + sire (n.). From 19c. often in reference to animal lineages.
grandson (n.)
grandstand (n.)
"main seating for spectators at an outdoor event," 1761 (two words), from grand (adj.) + stand (n.). The verb meaning "to show off" is student slang from 1895, from grandstand player, attested in baseball slang from 1888.
Compare British gallery hit (1882) "showy play by a batsman in cricket, 'intended to gain applause from uncritical spectators'" [OED]. Related: grandstanding.
grange (n.)
mid-13c. in surnames and place names; c. 1300 as "group of farms, small village," also "a granary, barn" (early 14c.), "outlying buildings of a monastic or other estate" (late 14c.), "small farm" (mid-15c.), and compare granger; from Anglo-French graunge, Old French grange "barn, granary; farmstead, farm house" (12c.), from Medieval Latin or Vulgar Latin granica "barn or shed for keeping grain," from Latin granum "grain," from PIE root *gre-no- "grain." Sense evolved to "outlying farm" (late 14c.), then "country house," especially of a gentleman farmer (1550s). Meaning "local lodge of the Patrons of Husbandry" (a U.S. farmers' cooperative and agricultural interest promotion organization) is from 1867.
granger (n.)
late 12c., "farm steward, man in charge of a grange," also as a surname, from Old French grangier "share-cropper, market-gardener," from grange "farmstead" (see grange). From 1873 in American English in reference to members of the Patrons of Husbandry farmers' association.
granitic (adj.)
granite (n.)
1640s, from French granit(e) (17c.) or directly from Italian granito "granite," originally "grained," past-participle adjective from granire "granulate, make grainy," from grano "grain," from Latin granum "grain" (from PIE root *gre-no- "grain"). In reference to the appearance of the rock. Used figuratively for "hardness" (of the heart, head, etc.) from 1839. New Hampshire, U.S., has been the Granite State at least since 1825.
granny (n.)
also grannie, 1660s, according to OED, most likely a diminutive and contraction of grannam, shortened form of grandame, rather than from grandmother. The sailor's granny knot (by 1803), originally granny's knot, readily jammed and insecure, is a reef or square knot with the second part crossed the wrong way, so called in contempt because "it is the natural knot tied by women or landsmen" [Smyth, "Sailor's Word-Book," 1867]. Granny Smith apples (1895) are said to have been named for Maria Ann Smith (d. 1870) of Australia, who originated them. Granny glasses attested from 1966.
granola (n.)
by 1967, American English, probably from Italian grano "grain," or granular, with commercial suffix -ola. Earlier, with a capital G-, it was a proprietary name (reg. 1886 by W.K. Kellogg, in use into early 20c.) for a kind of breakfast cereal.
grant (v.)
in early use also graunt, early 13c., "to allow, permit (something); consent to (a prayer, request, etc.)," from Old French graanter, variant of creanter "assure, promise, guarantee, swear; confirm, authorize, approve (of)," from Latin credentem (nominative credens), present participle of credere "to believe, to trust" (see credo). From c. 1300 as "transfer possession of in any formal way." Meaning "admit to be true, acknowledge" in English is from c. 1300; hence to take (something) for granted "regard as not requiring proof" (1610s). The irregular change of -c- to -g- in Old French is perhaps from influence of garantir. Related: Granted; granting.
grant (n.)
late 14c., "something granted; authoritative bestowal of a privilege, etc.," from Anglo-French graunt, Old French graant, collateral variant of creant "promise, assurance, vow; agreement, pact; will, wish, pleasure," from creanter "be pleasing; assure, promise, guarantee; confirm, authorize" (see grant (v.)). Earlier in English in now-obsolete sense of "allowance, permission" (c. 1200). Especially "money formally granted by an authority" from c. 1800. In American English, especially of land, from c. 1700.
grantee (n.)
in legal language, "person to whom a thing is granted," late 15c., from grant (v.) + -ee.
grantor (n.)
in legal language, "person who makes a grant or conveyance," 1620s, from Anglo-French grantor, Old French graanter agent noun from granter "give; agree, consent; admit; permit" (see grant (v.)). Native form granter (n.) is attested from c. 1400.
granule (n.)
1650s, from French granule or directly from Late Latin granulum "small grain," diminutive of Latin granum "grain," from PIE root *gre-no- "grain."
granulation (n.)
"act of forming into grains," 1610s, from Late Latin granulum "granule" (see granular) + -ation.
granulate (v.)
"to form into grains," 1660s, transitive and intransitive, back-formation from granulation. Related: Granulated; granulating.
granular (adj.)
1790, from Late Latin granulum "granule, a little grain," diminutive of Latin granum "grain, seed" (from PIE root *gre-no- "grain") + -ar. Replaced granulous (late 14c.). Related: Granularity.
granuloma (n.)
"granulated tissue produced by certain diseases," from Latin granulum "granule" (see granular) + -oma, on model of glaucoma, etc.
granulose (n.)
part of starch convertible into sugar, 1874, coined in German by Swiss botanist Carl Nägeli (1817-1891) from Late Latin granulum "granule, small grain," diminutive of granum "grain" (see grain) + chemical suffix -ose (2).
grape (n.)
mid-13c., "a grape, a berry of the vine," also collective singular, from Old French grape "bunch of grapes, grape" (12c.), probably a back-formation from graper "steal; grasp; catch with a hook; pick (grapes)," from a Frankish or other Germanic word, from Proto-Germanic *krappon "hook," from a group of Germanic words meaning "bent, crooked, hooked" (cognates: Middle Dutch crappe, Old High German krapfo "hook;" also see cramp (n.2)). The original notion thus perhaps was "vine hook for grape-picking." The vine is not native to England. The word replaced Old English winberige "wine berry." Spanish grapa, Italian grappa also are from Germanic.
grapefruit (n.)
1814, from grape + fruit. Said to have been so called for its taste, or perhaps because it grows in clusters. Perhaps a marketing name; it was known by various names (pomelo, shaddock) before the current one emerged. The fruit itself was known since 1693 (in Hans Sloane's catalogue of Jamaican plants); presumably it originated in Jamaica from chance hybrids between other cultivated citrus. An ornamental plant chiefly at first, not much eaten until late 19c.
grapeshot (n.)
also grape-shot, 1747, from grape + shot (n.). So called for its appearance. Originally simply grape (1680s), a collective singular. The whiff of grapeshot was popularized in English from 1837, from Carlyle's history of the French Revolution (in which book it was a chapter title). It seems to be his.
grapevine (n.)
also grape-vine, 1736, from grape + vine. Meaning "a rumor; a secret or unconventional method of spreading information" (1863) is from the use of grapevine telegraph as "secret source of information and rumor" in the American Civil War; in reference to Southerners under northern occupation but also in reference to black communities and runaway slaves.
-graph
modern word-forming element meaning "instrument for recording; that which writes, marks, or describes; something written," from Greek -graphos "-writing, -writer" (as in autographos "written with one's own hand"), from graphe "writing, the art of writing, a writing," from graphein "to write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn" (see -graphy). Adopted widely (Dutch -graaf, German -graph, French -graphe, Spanish -grafo). Related: -grapher; -graphic; -graphical.
graph (n.)
1878, shortening of graphic formula (see graphic). The verb meaning "to chart on a graph" is from 1889. Related: Graphed; graphing.
grapheme (n.)
1937, apparently coined by U.S. linguistics professor William Freeman Twaddell (1906-1982), from graph "letter, symbol" (see -graphy) + -eme "unit of language structure." Related: Graphemic.
-graphy
word-forming element meaning "process of writing or recording" or "a writing, recording, or description" (in modern use especially in forming names of descriptive sciences), from French or German -graphie, from Greek -graphia "description of," used in abstract nouns from graphein "write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn," originally "to scrape, scratch" (on clay tablets with a stylus), from PIE root *gerbh- "to scratch, carve" (see carve).
graphics (n.)
by 1842 as "the art of precise mechanical drawing;" by 1889 in reference to the use of diagrams, from graphic; also see -ics. Layout and typography sense attested from 1960; of computers by 1966.
graphic (adj.)
"vivid, describing accurately ," 1660s (graphically "vividly" is from 1570s), from Latin graphicus "picturesque," from Greek graphikos "of or for writing, belonging to drawing, picturesque," from graphe "writing, drawing," from graphein "to write" (see -graphy). Meaning "pertaining to drawing" is from 1756. Meaning "pertaining to the use of diagrams" is from 1866. Related: Graphically. Graphic design is attested by 1956. Graphic equalizer is from 1969.
graphite (n.)
"black lead," 1796, from German Graphit, coined 1789 by German mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner (1750-1817) from Greek graphein "write" (see -graphy) + mineral suffix -ite. So called because it was used in making pencils. Related: Graphitic.
graphology (n.)
"study of handwriting," 1882, from French graphologie, coined 1868 by Abbé Jean-Hippolyte Michon (1806-1881) from Greek graphein "to write" (see -graphy) + -ologie (see -ology). Especially, "character study based on handwriting" (1886); an earlier word for this was graptomancy (1858).
graphomania (n.)
"morbid desire for writing," 1811, from Greek graphein "to write" (see -graphy) + mania. Related: Graphomaniac.
grapnel (n.)
"small hook," especially one fixed on a rope and thrown for seizing and holding, late 14c., grapenel, from an assumed Anglo-French diminutive of grapon, from Old French grapil, grapin "hook," diminutive of grape "hook" (see grape). Earlier form was grapel (compare grapple (n.)).
grappa (n.)
"brandy distilled from the residue of wine-making," 1893, from Italian grappa, literally "grapes" (see grape).
grapple (n.)
"iron hook for fastening one thing to another," late 13c., from Old French grapil "hook" (see grapnel).
grapple (v.)
1520s, "seize and hold fast," originally in reference to a ship, by means of a grapple, from grapple (n.). Extended sense of "battle, struggle in close contact" (usually with with) is from 1580s of persons, 1630s of immaterial things. Related: Grappled; grappling. Grappling hook is from 1620s.
grappler (n.)
1620s, "a grappling hook," agent noun from grapple (v.). Of a person, by 1832.
graptolite (n.)
fossilized colonial animal from the Cambrian and later, 1838, from Modern Latin graptolithus, literally "written-stone," from Greek graptos "engraved, written, painted" (verbal adjective of graphein; see -graphy) + lithos "stone" (see litho-). So called because the fossils resemble pens. Related: Graptolitic.
grasping (adj.)
"greedy, acquisitive," late 14c., present-participle adjective from grasp (v.). Related: Graspingly.
grasp (v.)
mid-14c., "to reach, grope, feel around," possibly a metathesis of grapsen, from Old English *græpsan "to touch, feel," from Proto-Germanic *grap-, *grab- (source also of East Frisian grapsen "to grasp," Middle Dutch grapen "to seize, grasp," Old English grapian "to touch, feel, grope"), from PIE root *ghrebh- (1) "to seize, reach" (see grab (v.)). With verb-formative -s- as in cleanse. Sense of "seize" first recorded mid-16c. Transitive use by 17c. Figurative use from c. 1600; of intellectual matters from 1680s. Related: Grasped; grasping.
grasp (n.)
1560s, "a handle," from grasp (v.). As "act of grasping" from c. 1600; also "power of grasping." Meaning "power of intellect" is from 1680s.
grass (n.)
Old English græs, gærs "herb, plant, grass," from Proto-Germanic *grasan (source also of Old Frisian gers "grass, turf, kind of grass," Old Norse, Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German, German, Gothic gras, Swedish gräs "grass"), which, according to Watkins, is from PIE *ghros- "young shoot, sprout," from root *ghre- "to grow, become green," thus related to grow and green, but not to Latin grāmen "grass, plant, herb." But Boutkan considers grāmen the only reliable cognate and proposes a substrate origin.
As a color name (especially grass-green, Old English græsgrene) by c. 1300. Sense of "marijuana" is recorded by 1932, American English. The grass skirt worn by people native to tropical regions is mentioned by 1874; the warning to keep off the grass by 1843 (in New York City's Central Park). Grass-fed of cattle, etc., (opposed to stall-fed) is from 1774.
grasshopper (n.)
popular name of insects with hind legs suited to jumping, mid-14c. (late 13c. as a surname), earlier greshoppe (c. 1200), from Old English gærshoppa; see grass + hopper (n.1). Similar formation in Middle Swedish gräshoppare, German Grashüpfer. As a term of reproach, from Ecclesiastes xii.5. Also recorded c. 1300 as a name for the hare.
grassy (adj.)
"abounding in grass, covered in grass," mid-15c., from grass + -y (2).
grassland (n.)
also grass-land, "land perpetually under grass," 1680s, from grass + land (n.).
grass roots (n.)
1650s, from grass + root (n.). The image of grass roots as the most fundamental level of anything is from 1901; U.S. political sense of "the rank and file of the electorate" (also grassroots) is attested from 1912; as an adjective by 1918.
grass widow (n.)
1520s, the earliest recorded sense is "mistress;" the allusion to grass is not clear, but it commonly was believed to refer to casual bedding (compare bastard and German Strohwitwe, literally "straw-widow," and compare the expression give (a woman) a grass gown "roll her playfully on the grass" (1580s), also euphemistic for the loss of virginity). Revived late 18c. as "one that pretends to have been married, but never was, yet has children;" in early 19c. use it could mean "married woman whose husband is absent" (and often presumed, but not certainly known to be, dead), also often applied to a divorced or discarded wife or an unmarried woman who has had a child. Both euphemistic and suggestive.
grateful (adj.)
1550s, "pleasing to the mind," also "full of gratitude, disposed to repay favors bestowed," from obsolete adjective grate "agreeable, pleasant," from Latin gratus "pleasing" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor"). "A most unusual formation" [Weekley]. A rare, irregular case of English using -ful to make an adjective from an adjective (the only other one I can find is direful "characterized by or fraught with something dreadful," 1580s). Related: Gratefully (1540s); gratefulness.
grating (adj.)
"annoying, irritating," 1560s, figurative use of present-participle adjective from grate (v.).
grating (n.)
"partition or frame of parallel crossing bars," 1620s, from grate (n.).
grate (v.)
"to scrape, rub," late 14c. (implied in grated), from Old French grater "to scrape, scratch (out or off); erase; destroy, pull down" (Modern French gratter), from Frankish *kratton, from Proto-Germanic *krattojan (source also of Old High German krazzon "to scratch, scrape," German kratzen "to scratch," Swedish kratta, Danish kratte "to rake, scrape"), probably of imitative origin. Senses of "sound harshly," and "annoy" are mid-16c. Italian grattare also is from Germanic. Related: Grated; grating.
grate (n.)
late 14c., "grill for cooking;" early 15c., "iron bars or cagework across a door or window," from Anglo-Latin (mid-14c.), from Old French grate or directly from Medieval Latin grata "a grating, lattice," from Latin cratis "wickerwork, hurdle" (see hurdle (n.)). As a verb meaning "to fit with a grate," from mid-15c. Related: Grated; grating.
Grateful Dead
San Francisco rock band, 1965, the name taken, according to founder Jerry Garcia, from a dictionary entry he saw about the folk tale motif of a wanderer who gives his last penny to pay for a corpse's burial, then is magically aided by the spirit of the dead person. A different version of the concept is found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
grater (n.)
instrument for scraping (bread, ginger, etc.), late 14c., from Old French grateor, agent noun from grater "to scrape, scratch out or off" (see grate (v.)).
gratis (adv.)
mid-15c., "for nothing, freely," from Latin gratis, contraction of gratiis "for thanks," hence, "without recompense, for nothing," ablative of gratiae "thanks," plural of gratia "favor" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor"). Meaning "free of charge" is 1540s.
gratification (n.)
1590s, "act of gratifying," from French gratification or directly from Latin gratificationem (nominative gratificatio) "obligingness, complaisance," noun of action from past-participle stem of gratificari "to please, oblige, do favor to" (see gratify). Meaning "state of being gratified" is by 1712.
gratify (v.)
c. 1400, "to bestow grace upon;" 1530s, "to show gratitude to," from Latin gratificari "to do favor to, oblige, gratify," from gratus "pleasing" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor") + combining form of facere "to make, do, perform" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Meaning "to give pleasure to" is from 1560s. Related: Gratified; gratifying.
gratin (n.)
light crust over a dish, 1806 (in au gratin), from French gratin "crust" (16c.), from gratter "to scrape, scratch" (see grate (v.)).
gratitude (n.)
mid-15c., "good will," from Medieval Latin gratitudinem (nominative gratitudo) "thankfulness," from Latin gratus "thankful, pleasing" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor"). Meaning "thankfulness" is from 1560s.
gratuitously (adv.)
1690s, "without cause or reason," from gratuitous + -ly (2). From 1716 as "without cost to the recipient."
gratuitous (adj.)
1650s, "freely bestowed," from Latin gratuitus "done without pay, spontaneous, voluntary," from gratus "pleasing, agreeable," from gratia "favor" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor"). Earlier was gratuital (1590s). The sense of "uncalled for, done without good reason" is recorded by 1690s.
gratuity (n.)
1520s, "graciousness," from French gratuité (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin gratuitatem (nominative gratuitas) "free gift," probably from Latin gratuitus "done without pay, spontaneous, voluntary," from gratus "pleasing, agreeable," from gratia "favor" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor"). Meaning "money given for favor or services" is first attested 1530s.
gratulate (v.)
archaic, 1550s, from Latin gratulatus, past participle of gratulari "give thanks, show joy" (see gratulation).
gratulation (n.)
late 15c., gratulacyon "expression of thanks," from Latin gratulationem (nominative gratulatio) "a manifestation of joy, wishing joy, rejoicing," from past-participle stem of gratulari "give thanks, show joy," from gratus "agreeable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *gwere- (2) "to favor").
gravamen (n.)
1640s, "grievance," from Late Latin gravamen "trouble, physical inconvenience" (in Medieval Latin, "a grievance"), literally "a burden," from Latin gravare "to burden, make heavy, weigh down; oppress," from gravis "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy"). Specifically, in law, "part of the accusation which weighs most heavily against the accused." Related: Gravaminous.
gravely (adv.)
1550s, "solemnly," from grave (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "in an important degree" is by 1835.
grave (n.)
"excavation in earth for reception of a dead body," Old English græf "grave; ditch, trench; cave," from Proto-Germanic *grafa-/graba- (source also of Old Saxon graf, Old Frisian gref, Old High German grab "grave, tomb;" Old Norse gröf "cave," Gothic graba "ditch"), cognate with Old Church Slavonic grobu "grave, tomb," and perhaps from a PIE root *ghrebh- (2) "to dig, to scratch, to scrape," related to Old English grafan "to dig" (see grave (v.)). Or perhaps a substratum word in Germanic and Balto-Slavic.
From Middle Ages to 17c., they were temporary, crudely marked repositories from which the bones were removed to ossuaries after some years and the grave used for a fresh burial. "Perpetual graves" became common from c. 1650. Grave-side (n.) is from 1744. Grave-robber attested from 1757. To make (someone) turn in his grave "behave in some way that would have offended the dead person" is first recorded 1888.
grave (adj.)
1540s, "influential, respected; marked by weighty dignity," from French grave (Old French greve "terrible, dreadful," 14c.), from Latin gravis, "heavy, ponderous, burdensome, loaded; pregnant;" of matters, "weighty, important;" of sounds, "deep, low, bass;" figuratively "oppressive, hard to bear, troublesome, grievous," from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy."
In English, the sense "solemn, sober" is from 1580s; of immaterial things, "important, serious" 1590s. Greek barys (opposed to kouphos) also was used figuratively, of suffering, sorrow, sobbing, and could mean "oppressive, burdensome, grave, dignified, impressive." The noun meaning "accent mark over a vowel" is c. 1600, from French.
grave (v.)
"to engrave," Old English grafan "to dig, dig up; engrave, carve, chisel" (medial -f- pronounced as "v" in Old English; past tense grof, past participle grafen), from Proto-Germanic *grabanan (source also of Old Norse grafa "to dig; engrave; inquire into," Old Frisian greva, Dutch graven "to dig, delve," Old High German graban, German graben, Gothic graban "to dig, carve"), from the same source as grave (n.). Its Middle English strong past participle, graven, is the only part still active, the rest of the word supplanted by its derivative, engrave.
grave-digger (n.)
also gravedigger, 1590s, from grave (n.) + digger.
gravel (n.)
"stone in small, irregular fragments," early 13c., from Old French gravele "sand, gravel; sea-shore; sandy bed of a river," diminutive of grave "sand, seashore" (Modern French grève), possibly from Celtic *graw- (compare Welsh gro "coarse gravel," Breton grouan, Cornish grow "gravel"), perhaps ultimately from PIE *ghreu- "to rub, grind" (see grit (n.)). Gravel-crusher was World War I slang for "infantryman."
gravelly (adj.)
late 14c., "covered with gravel or sand," from gravel + -y (2). Of voices, by 1943.
graven (adj.)
"sculpted, carved," late 14c., past-participle adjective from grave (v.) + -en (1).
Gravenstein
apple variety, 1802, from Gravenstein, German form of the name of a village and ducal estate (Danish Graasten) in Schleswig-Holstein.
graver (n.)
"one who cuts (letters or figures) in stone, wood, etc.," Old English græfere, agent noun from grafan (see grave (v.)). As "tool for engraving" from 1540s.
Graves' disease
"exophthalmic goiter," 1862, named for Irish physician Robert James Graves (1796-1853), who first recognized the disease in 1835. The surname probably is from Old Norse greifi "steward," corresponding to Old English gerefa (see reeve).
gravestone (n.)
"stone over a grave," late 14c.; earlier "stone coffin" (c. 1200), from grave (n.) + stone (n.). Similar formation in German Grabstein, Dutch grafsteen, Danish gravsten.
graveyard (n.)
1683, from grave (n.) + yard (n.1). Graveyard shift "late-night work" is c. 1907, from earlier nautical term, in reference to the loneliness of after-hours work.
gravy (n.)
late 14c. (perhaps mid-13c. in Anglo-French), grave, gravei, gravi, greve, gravey, gravee, grovi, grauvey, with u/v variation typical of medieval spelling. From Old French gravé, graué, "seasoned broth or sauce," ultimately from Persian zirbaja, said by H.F. Amedroz to mean “concoction in a pot.” The unattested intermediate term should have been something like *girveie (see evolution of ginger for comparison.)
The dish became popular in Europe in the 14th century, probably introduced through the Emirate of Granada in what is now Spain.
It is usually said that gravé is a non-word created as a mistranscription of grané, a similar mixture with which it is indeed conflated in French manuscripts. Grané is usually supposed to be from Medieval Latin granatum “corned, grained” but this is unattested in the context of this sauce. It is as likely in this case to be from "Granada" (see Granada.)
There may have been a second word, combined through folk-etymology, that led to the secondary sense of "juice of cooked meat." Perhaps Old French engravee "carved, sliced" or Old English greofa, an oil-pan (related to greaves, 1610s, "fibrous matter cooked out of animal fat.")
In Middle English the word grave is glossed against Latin garus, "a type of fish used for making sauce" and promulada, probably from promulsis, an old appetizer of eggs and fish. The sense of broths or drippings appears to originally be of fishes, then soon extended to meat drippings or gelatin, which sense grows dominant in English from mid-15c, though still used most typically of fish or other seafood till 16c.
As "a sauce made with meat drippings," 1670s, originally sauce gravy or gravy sauce. Applied to vegetarian mixtures by 1875. The meaning "tomato sauce" (chiefly Italian-American) is by 1978, evidently from certain Italian dialects differentiating tomato puree (salsa, "sauce") from the cooked tomato sauce (sugo, translated "gravy" in many 19c. and 20c. Italian-English dictionaries, or ragu, etc.)
The meaning "money easily acquired" is attested by 1910; gravy train (by 1899) as something lucrative or productive is said to have been originally railroad slang for a short haul that paid well. Gravy-boat "small, deep dish for holding gravy or sauce" is from 1827.
gravid (adj.)
"pregnant," 1590s, from Latin gravidus "loaded, full, swollen; pregnant with child," from gravis "burdened, heavy," from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy." Related: Gravidity. Gravidation "pregnancy" is attested from mid-15c.
gravigrade (adj.)
"walking with heavy steps," 1839, probably via French, a modern scientific compound from Latin gravis "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy") + gradi "to walk" (from PIE root *ghredh- "to walk, go").
gravimeter (n.)
"instrument for measuring the forces of gravity," 1797, from French gravimètre, from gravité (see gravity) + -mètre "measuring device" (see -meter).
gravitate (v.)
1640s, "exert weight; move downward" (obsolete), from Modern Latin gravitare (16c. in scientific writing), from Latin gravitas "heaviness, weight," from gravis "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy"). Meaning "be affected by gravity" is from 1690s. Figurative sense "be strongly attracted to, have a natural tendency toward" is from 1670s. Related: Gravitated; gravitating. The classical Latin verb was gravare "to make heavy, burden, oppress, aggravate."
gravitational (adj.)
1816, from gravitation + -al (1). Related: Gravitationally.
gravitation (n.)
1640s in physics, "force that gives weight to objects," also figurative, "act of tending toward a center of attraction," from Modern Latin gravitare (see gravitate). Compare gravity.
gravitas (n.)
1924, usually in italics, from Latin gravitas "weight, heaviness;" figuratively, of persons, "dignity, presence, influence" (see gravity). A word wanted when gravity acquired a primarily scientific meaning.
gravity (n.)
c. 1500, "weight, dignity, seriousness, solemnity of deportment or character, importance," from Old French gravité "seriousness, thoughtfulness" (13c.) and directly from Latin gravitatem (nominative gravitas) "weight, heaviness, pressure," from gravis "heavy" (from PIE root *gwere- (1) "heavy"). The scientific sense of "downward acceleration of terrestrial bodies due to gravitation of the Earth" first recorded 1620s.
gravure (n.)
1893, short for photogravure.