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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

grebo en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈɡriːbəʊ/ (UK)

Etymology

From greaser, originally referring to motorcyclists before being transferred to rockers.

Meanings

  1. (UK, West-Midlands, countable, dated, slang) A greaser or biker.
  2. (UK, West-Midlands, countable, slang) A member of an alternative subculture, typically one based on rock music, as opposed to a chav or townie.
    • But the realistic side stepped in — y'know, if you're on the point of giving birth, you don't really need a bunch of grebos playing some dodgy old music downstairs. 2002, Glyn Brown, “Baxter Dury: Chip off the old Blockhead”, in The Independent on Sunday:
  3. (UK, countable, slang) A member of a United Kingdom subculture of the late 1980s and early 1990s, musically affiliated with garage rock and electronica, typically wearing baggy clothes and hair in high ponytails.
    • The highlight of my school days was one day in the mid-70s. There was a sort of glam-rock cult called the Grebos back then who wore smartish Disco clothes […] 1998, "Bill Jillians", alt.journalism.gonzo (Internet newsgroup)
  4. (uncountable) A short-lived subgenre of alternative rock music in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with influences from punk rock, electronic dance music, hip-hop, and psychedelia.
    • This debut album is a glorious grebo-fest. 2003, Peter Buckley, Jonathan Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock:
    • […] they were soon pigeonholed under the banner of "grebo rock" […] 1995, Colin Larkin, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music:
    • […] focused on the hyper punk aspect of England's "grebo" movement […] 2002, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
greebo alternative lexicographic
grebos Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

goth · rocker · greeber · emo · mosher