# greet

Pronunciation: say "GREET" /ɡɹiːt/

## Verb

1. To welcome someone in a friendly way, whether in person or through writing or some other means.
   - Simple: To say hello to someone in a friendly way, in person or in writing.
   - _The host greeted each arrival with a handshake and a smile._
   - _They greet every customer who walks through the door._
2. To be perceived by someone, especially as the first thing a person encounters on arriving somewhere.
   - Simple: To be the first thing that someone sees, hears, or smells in a place.
   - _A chorus of birdsong greeted the hikers at the summit._
   - _Empty shelves greet shoppers during every shortage._
3. To arrive at or reach a place, or to meet someone or something.
   - Simple: To finally reach or arrive at a place.
   - _The expedition greeted the summit after three days of climbing._
   - _Sailors greet the open sea once they clear the harbor mouth._
4. To address or accost someone; to speak to a person directly.
   - Simple: To go up to someone and speak to them directly.
   - _The beggar greeted each passerby with an outstretched hand._
   - _Protesters greet officials with chants whenever they appear._
5. To weep; to shed tears in grief or distress. *(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland)*
   - Simple: To cry or shed tears, often from sadness.
   - _She greeted quietly at her father's graveside._
   - _Tired children greet when they cannot have their way._

## Adjective

6. Great; large in size, degree, or importance.
   - Simple: Very large or great in size, amount, or importance.
   - _A greet storm swept across the highlands that winter._
   - _The chieftain commanded greet respect among his people._

## Verb

7. To meet someone and exchange salutations. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To meet and say hello to each other.
   - _The knights greeted courteously before the tournament began._
   - _Neighbors greet across the fence each morning._

## Noun

8. Mourning and weeping; loud lamentation over a death or other loss. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Loud crying and sadness over a death or loss.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4, 7** — From Middle English greten, from Old English grētan, which goes back to Proto-West Germanic *grōtijan and Proto-Germanic *grōtijaną.
**Meaning 6** — From Middle English greet, grete, meaning "great".
**Meanings 5, 8** — From a blend of two Old English verbs meaning "to weep, lament": grētan/grǣtan (from Proto-West Germanic *grātan) and grēotan (from *greutan). It was possibly reinforced in Northern England and Scotland by Old Norse gráta, source also of Danish græde, Norwegian gråte, and Swedish gråta, all meaning "to cry, to weep".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/greet (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).