Greg

Part of speech: proper noun

Definitions

1. A male given name commonly used as a short form for a fuller name; a person bearing this name; an informal way to address or refer to someone named as such
2. A first name typically derived as a diminutive of a longer form; an individual recognized by this personal name; a casual designation for a man with this appellation
3. A common masculine nickname originating from a longer personal name; a human being identified by this moniker; a familiar or colloquial form of address for a male bearer of the name

Etymology: Gregory is the source of "Greg", and the name itself traces back to Greek "grēgorios", meaning "watchful" or "vigilant", from "grēgoros", "awake". The Latin form "Gregorius" was carried into Christian use through the saints and popes who bore it, most famously Pope Gregory I, whose name spread across medieval Europe. Forms of the name appear in English from the Middle Ages onward, and the short form "Greg" is a later informal clipping of the longer name, a pattern common with many English given names. The slang sense, where "greg" is used as a casual way to refer to a man named Greg or to address someone by that name, follows the usual pattern of given names becoming generic labels. It is a name first, and its use as a stand-in for an ordinary man is a familiar extension of that same process.

Synonyms: Gregory, Greg