From Middle English gre, from Old French gré, from Latin gradum (“step”). Compare degree. Doublet of grade.
Meanings
(obsolete) One of a flight of steps.
"My grand-daughter doesn't like to be kept waitin' when the tea is ready, for it takes me time to crammle aboon the grees, for there be a many of 'em, and miss, I lack belly-timber sairly by the clock." 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 5, in Dracula:
(obsolete) A stage in a process; a degree of rank or station.
He is a shepherd great in gree. 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Iuly. Ægloga Septima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC:
From (pre-reform) Scottish Gaelic gré, from Old Scottish Gaelic gray.
Meanings
(Scotland, countable, uncountable) Pre-eminence; victory or superiority in combat (hence also, the prize for winning a combat).
And thenne the kynge lete blowe to lodgynge
and by cause sir Palomydes beganne fyrste
and neuer he went nor rode oute of the feld to repose
but euer was doynge merueyllously wel outher on foote or on horsbak
and lengest durynge Kynge Arthur and alle the kynges gaf sir Palomydes the honour and the gree as for that daye 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lxxj”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:
bycause Sir Palomydes beganne fyrste, and never he wente nor rode oute of the fylde to repose hym, but ever he was doynge on horsebak othir on foote, and lengest durynge, Kynge Arthure and all the kynges gaff Sir Palomydes the honoure and the gre as for that day. 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:
When it was the Second Night, said Dunyazad to her sister Shahrazad, "O my sister, finish for us that story of the Merchant and the Jinni;" and she answered "With joy and goodly gree, if the King permit me." 1885, Sir Richard Francis Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume 1:
Accept in gree, my lord, the words I spoke. 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC:
From Middle English green (“to agree”), from Old French greer, from gré (hence Etymology 3).
Meanings
(Nigeria, intransitive, obsolete) To agree.
Gob. […]how dooſt thou and thy Maſter agree, I haue brought him a preſent; how gree you now? c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 168: