grue

1 of 4

intransitive verb

ˈgrü
-ed/-ing/-s
now chiefly dialectal
: to shiver or shudder especially with fear or cold
exposed to the gruesome so extensively … we simply don't grue any more—John Crosby

grue

2 of 4

noun (1)

"
plural -s
1
: a fit of shivering : shiver
the sound of wind in the rigging … gave him the chills and the grues—R. B. Robertson
impossible to read without a certain cold grue—S. V. Benét
2
: gruesome quality or effect
a mystery novel … resolved with true grue—Anthony Boucher
serves the chilliest grue with perfect elegance—J. S. Sandoe

grue

3 of 4

noun (2)

"
plural -s
now chiefly Scottish
: particle, bit
hasn't a grue of sense

grue

4 of 4

noun (3)

"
plural -s
chiefly Scottish
: thin floating ice : snow

Word History

Etymology

Intransitive verb

from earlier grow, from Middle English gruen, growen, probably from Middle Dutch grūwen; akin to Old High German ingrūēn to shiver, shudder, and probably to Old English grēot sand

Noun (2)

Middle English

Noun (3)

origin unknown

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near grue

Grudziadz

grue

gruel

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Grue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grue. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...