gray matter: Meaning and Definition of

gray' mat"ter

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. nerve tissue, esp. of the brain and spinal cord, that contains fibers and nerve cell bodies and is dark reddish-gray. Cf. white matter.
  2. brains or intellect.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.