noun
gravy
GRAY-vee
noun
1
A sauce made from the juices and fat that come from cooking meat, often thickened and served over food.
"She poured gravy over the mashed potatoes."
"The turkey came with a rich, savory gravy."
2
Informal: extra money or benefit gained easily, beyond what was expected.
"The base salary was fine, but the bonus was pure gravy."
How to Use Gravy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA savory sauce made from meat juices, or informally, an easy extra bonus.
Common mistake
"Gravy train" means an easy source of money or benefit — it has nothing to do with actual gravy or trains.
Common pairings
pour gravy
turkey and gravy
gravy train
Word Forms
gravied past tense, gravies plural, gravies singular
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Etymology
From Middle English gravey, likely linked to greaves/graves ("sediment from melted fat").