Gregory
WordNet
noun
(1) (Roman Catholic Church) an Italian pope distinguished for his spiritual and temporal leadership; a saint and Doctor of the Church (540?-604)
(2) The Italian pope who fought to establish the supremacy of the pope over the Roman Catholic Church and the supremacy of the church over the state (1020-1085)
(3) The Italian pope from 1406 to 1415 who worked to end the Great Schism and who retired to make it possible (1327-1417)
(4) The pope who sponsored the introduction of the modern calendar (1572-1585)
(5) Italian pope from 1831 to 1846; conservative in politics and theology; worked to propagate Catholicism in England and the United States (1765-1846)
(6) (Roman Catholic Church) a church father known for his constant fight against perceived heresies; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-391)
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Via , form post-classical .
Proper noun
- .
Usage notes
Name of early saints, and of 16 popes. Used since Middle Ages; popular in the mid-twentieth century.
Quotations
: Act V, Scene III:-
- Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms as I have done this day.
- 1990 Jonathan Kellerman, Time Bomb, page 163:
- The surname Graff was chosen because upscale consumers respect anything Teutonic - regard it as efficient, intelligent, and reliable. But only up to a point. A forename like Helmut or Wilhelm wouldn't have done. Too German. Too foreign. 'Gregory' scores high on the likability scale. All-American. Greg. He's one of the boys, with Teutonic ancestry.