gray matter

noun

1

: neural tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that contains nerve-cell bodies as well as nerve fibers and has a brownish-gray color

2

: brains, intellect

Synonyms

• sense
• intelligence
• intellect
• reason
• brain(s)

Examples of gray matter in a Sentence

she's got the gray matter to figure that equation out

Recent Examples on the Web

Men were affected more than women, particularly in the gray matter. —New Atlas, 29 July 2025

Brain scans of people who spend time in nature show that their prefrontal cortex has more gray matter and a stronger ability to think clearly and self-regulate. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

The density of signals gives information about the molecular makeup of bodily tissues—distinguishing bone from blood, white matter from gray matter, tumors from healthy tissue. —IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2012

While gray matter naturally decreases with age, research indicates that adults who engage in excessive screen time have significantly lower gray matter volume compared to their peers. —Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gray matter

• backscatter
• antimatter
• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• chatter
• clatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• latter

Kids Definition

gray matter

noun

1

: nerve tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that has a brownish gray color

2

: intelligence sense 1

Medical Definition

gray matter

noun

: neural tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that contains cell bodies as well as nerve fibers, has a brownish gray color, and forms most of the cortex and nuclei of the brain, the columns of the spinal cord, and the bodies of ganglia

called also gray substance