Gross , n. [F. gros (in sense 1), grosse (in sense 2). See Gross, a.]
1. The main body; the chief part, bulk, or mass. "The gross of the
enemy." Addison.
For the gross of the people, they are considered as a mere herd of cattle.
Burke. 2. sing. & pl. The number of twelve dozen; twelve times twelve; as, a gross of bottles; ten gross of pens.
Advowson in gross (Law), an advowson belonging to a person, and
not to a manor. -- A great gross, twelve gross; one hundred and forty-four dozen. -- By the gross, by the quantity; at wholesale. -- Common in gross. (Law) See under Common, n. -- In the gross, In gross, in the bulk, or the undivided whole; all parts taken together.
Gross (?), a.
[Compar. Grosser (&?;); superl.
Grossest.]
[F. gros, L. grossus, perh.
fr. L. crassus thick, dense, fat, E.
crass, cf. Skr. grathita tied together, wound up, hardened. Cf. Engross, Grocer,
Grogram.] 1. Great; large; bulky; fat; of
huge size; excessively large. "A gross fat man." Shak.
A gross body of horse
under the Duke.
Milton.
2. Coarse; rough; not fine or delicate.
3. Not easily aroused or excited; not sensitive in perception or feeling; dull; witless.
Tell her of
things that no gross ear can hear.
Milton. 4. Expressing, or originating in, animal or sensual appetites; hence, coarse, vulgar, low, obscene, or impure.
The terms which
are delicate in one age become gross in the next.
Macaulay.
5. Thick; dense; not attenuated; as, a gross medium.
6. Great; palpable; serious; vagrant; shameful; as, a gross mistake; gross injustice; gross negligence.
7.
Whole; entire; total; without deduction; as, the gross sum, or gross amount, the gross weight; -- opposed to net.
Gross adventure (Law)
the loan of money upon
bottomry, i. e., on a mortgage of a
ship. -- Gross average (Law), that kind of
average which falls upon the gross or entire amount of ship, cargo, and freight; -- commonly called
general average. Bouvier. Burrill. --
Gross receipts, the
total of the receipts, before they are diminished by any deduction, as for expenses; -- distinguished from net profits. Abbott. -- Gross weight the total weight of merchandise or goods, without deduction for tare, tret, or
waste; -- distinguished from neat, or net,
weight.
Hear it pronounced