grizzle

1 of 2

noun

griz·​zle ˈgri-zəl How to pronounce grizzle (audio)
1
archaic : gray hair
2
a
: a roan coat pattern or color
b
: a gray or roan animal

grizzle

2 of 2

verb

grizzled; grizzling ˈgri-z(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce grizzle (audio)

transitive verb

: to make grayish

intransitive verb

1
2
: to become grayish

Examples of grizzle in a Sentence

Verb He is always grizzling about the weather. He always grizzles that the weather is bad.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Inter may lack glamour and flash, but few teams in Europe have quite so much grit and grizzle. Andrew Das, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Nearly every inhabitant of an Arctic scientific-research station has evacuated in advance of encroaching danger, but grizzle-bearded Augustine, who is gravely ill, has stayed behind. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Dec. 2020
Verb
While a number of draftees who heard their name called on Wednesday were teenagers, Carter is grizzled by prospect standards. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 27 June 2024 Khan appears in his latest incarnation — grizzled with a goatee, an elder statesman returned to the screen. Mallika Rao, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grizzle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grizzle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English grisel, adjective, gray, from Anglo-French, from gris, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German grīs gray

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1740, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of grizzle was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near grizzle

Cite this Entry

“Grizzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grizzle. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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