Gross
/ɡroʊs/noun
Very unpleasant, offensive, or lacking refinement; also used for something total or inclusive in some contexts.
Did you know?Its older sense meant “large” or “thick,” and the modern “disgusting” meaning developed much later through ideas of coarseness and lack of refinement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*grews-
“to grow, become large”
Late Latin
Latin
grossus
“thick, bulky, coarse”
Old French
Old French
gros
“thick, large, big”
Middle English
English
gros
“large, thick, coarse”
Modern English
English
gross
“offensive, vulgar, or total in amount”