Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - gross

(grosser, grossest, grosses, grossing, grossed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. Note: The plural of the number is 'gross'. 1. You use gross to describe something unacceptable or unpleasant to a very great amount, degree, or intensity. The company were guilty of gross negligence. ...an act of gross injustice. ADJ: ADJ n • grossly Funding of education had been grossly inadequate for years... She was grossly overweight. ADV: ADV -ed/adj 2. If you say that someone’s speech or behaviour is gross, you think it is very rude or unacceptable. He abused the Admiral in the grossest terms... I feel disgusted and wonder how I could ever have been so gross. ADJ c darkgreen]disapproval 3. If you describe something as gross, you think it is very unpleasant. (INFORMAL) They had a commercial on the other night for Drug Free America that was so gross I thought Daddy was going to faint... He wears really gross holiday outfits. ADJ c darkgreen]disapproval 4. If you describe someone as gross, you mean that they are extremely fat and unattractive. I only resist things like chocolate if I feel really gross. ADJ: v-link ADJ c darkgreen]disapproval 5. Gross means the total amount of something, especially money, before any has been taken away. ...a fixed rate account guaranteeing 10.4% gross interest or 7.8% net until October. ADJ: ADJ n • Gross is also an adverb. Interest is paid gross, rather than having tax deducted. ...a father earning ?20,000 gross a year. ADV: ADV after v 6. Gross means the total amount of something, after all the relevant amounts have been added together. National Savings gross sales in June totalled ?709 million. ADJ: ADJ n 7. Gross means the total weight of something, including its container or wrapping. ADJ: ADJ n 8. If a person or a business grosses a particular amount of money, they earn that amount of money before tax has been taken away. (BUSINESS) So far the films have grossed more than ?590 million. VERB: V n 9. A gross is a group of 144 things. He ordered twelve gross of the disks. NUM: usu a/num NUM