different between grandfather vs granny

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???æn(d)?f??ð?(r)/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???æn?f??ð?/
• (General American) enPR: gr?nd?fä'th?r, IPA^(key): /???æn(d)?f?ð?/, [????(?)?????n(d)?f??ð?]
• Hyphenation: grand?fa?ther

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English grandfadre, graundfadir, graunfadir, grauntfader, and other forms, from graunt (“big, large; great, important”) + f??der (“male parent, father; remoter male ancestor”), probably modelled after Middle French grandpere, grant pere (“male parent; remoter male ancestor”) (whence French grand-père); the English word is analysable as grand- +? father. Superseded earlier eldfather, elderfather.

The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

grandfather (plural grandfathers)

1. A father of someone's parent. [from 15th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:grandfather

   Antonyms: (with regard to gender) grandmother, grandchild, granddaughter, (with regard to ancestry) grandson; see also Thesaurus:grandmother
2. (by extension) A male forefather.

   Synonyms: (rare) highfather, grandsire

Hypernyms

• grandparent

Hyponyms

• (father of someone's father): paternal grandfather
• (father of someone's mother): maternal grandfather

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

grandfather (third-person singular simple present grandfathers, present participle grandfathering, simple past and past participle grandfathered)

1. (transitive) To be, or act as, a grandfather to.

Translations

Etymology 2

From grandfather clause: see grandfather (etymology 1) and clause.

Verb

grandfather (third-person singular simple present grandfathers, present participle grandfathering, simple past and past participle grandfathered)

2. (transitive, chiefly US, law) To retain discontinued laws or rules for (a thing, person or organization previously affected by them). [from 1950s]

Derived terms

• grandfathering (noun)

Translations

References

Further reading

• grandfather clause on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• grandparent on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology 1

• gran(nam) +? -y

Alternative forms

• grammy (less common)

• grannie (less common)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???æni/
• Rhymes: -æni
• Hyphenation: gran?ny

Noun

granny (plural grannies)

1. (colloquial) A grandmother.

   I'm going to be a granny.

2. (colloquial, derogatory) An elderly woman.

   There are too many grannies around here getting in the way.

3. (knots) A granny knot.
   • 1977, Stephen King, Children of the Corn

     The suitcase was old. The brown leather was battered and scuffed. Two hanks of clothesline had been wrapped around it and tied in large, clownish grannies.

4. (farming, colloquial) An older ewe that may lure a lamb away from its mother.

Synonyms

• (grandmother): gran, grandma, nan, nanna, nanny
• (elderly woman): old dear

Derived terms

• granny knot

Translations

Adjective

granny (not comparable)

1. (informal) typically or stereotypically old-fashioned, especially in clothing and accessories worn by or associated with elderly women.

   granny dress; granny glasses

Verb

granny (third-person singular simple present grannies, present participle grannying, simple past and past participle grannied)

1. (informal, intransitive) To be a grandmother.
2. (informal, intransitive) To act like a stereotypical grandmother; to fuss.

Etymology 2

• gran(d) +? -y

Noun

granny (plural grannies)

1. (Australia, colloquial) A grand final.
   • 2007, Steve Bedwell, Vizard Uncut, Melbourne University Publish (?ISBN), page 30:

     On the morning of the 'granny', the three Vizards would hop into Godfrey's Dodge and head off towards the MCG.

   • 2016, Brent Harvey, Boomer, Macmillan Publishers Aus. (?ISBN)

     Jase was controversially suspended and prevented from playing in the granny.

   • 2020, Marlion Pickett, Dave Warner, Belief, Simon and Schuster (?ISBN)

     "Dad, I got some good news and bad news. Good news is I'll be playing in the granny. Bad news is you'll have to hop on a plane.”

Anagrams

• nangry