gravy

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a sauce made by adding stock, flour, or other ingredients to the juice and fat that drips from cooking meats
  2. noun the seasoned but not thickened juices that drip from cooking meats; often a little water is added
  3. noun a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)

Etymology

From Middle English gravey, greavie, gravy; probably from greaves, graves (“the sediment of melted tallow”), or from Old French grave, a claimed misspelling of grané (“stew, spice”), from grain (“spice”). Sense of "pasta sauce" apparently seems to be from Italian dialect, especially Calabrian, differentiating tomato puree (salsa (“sauce”)) from cooked tomato sauce (sugo).

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