French word meaning 'big' or 'large' (feminine form), often appearing in place names or as part of compound terms.
From Latin 'grossus' meaning thick or coarse. In French, it became 'gros' (masculine) and 'grosse' (feminine), maintaining the sense of size and bulk. The word entered English through Norman French in various compound forms.
This word appears in many American place names like Grosse Pointe, Michigan, reflecting French colonial heritage. The masculine form 'gros' gave English the word 'gross' meaning both large quantities (a gross = 144) and something offensive or disgusting.
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