The Fascinating Etymology Of The Word "Grog"

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

groggy

PRONUNCIATION:

(GROG-ee) 

MEANING:

adjective: Dazed, weak, or unsteady, as from lack of sleep, tiredness, sickness, intoxication, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Old Grog, nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757), who ordered diluted rum to be served to his sailors (and thus helped coin the term grog). The admiral earned the nickname from his habit of wearing a grogram cloak. Grogram is a coarse fabric of silk, wool, mohair, or a blend of them. The word grogram is from French gros grain (large grain or texture). Earliest documented use: 1770.

USAGE:

“It kept the kids awake at night and left them groggy all the next day at school.”
William B. McCloskey; Warriors: A Novel; Skyhorse Publishing; 2017.

See more usage examples of groggy in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.