# Greene

/ˈɡɹin/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/greene
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a surname

noun · CEFR B1

a common English family name.

For teachers: a frequent English surname of Middle English origin, originally referring to someone who lived near a village green.

- Graham Greene was a famous English writer who wrote many popular novels.
- The literary critic argued that Greene's later works explored themes of faith and failure more deeply than his earlier thrillers.

### 2. the color green

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old way of spelling the color green.

For teachers: an obsolete spelling of the color or adjective 'green', common in Middle and Early Modern English texts.

- In the old book, the forest was described as a deep greene place.
- Scholars often encounter the variant 'greene' when transcribing sixteenth-century manuscripts or reading original editions of Elizabethan poetry.

## Examples

- Mr. Greene is our new history teacher.
- The local library was named after Graham Greene, a famous English novelist who wrote many popular books.
- The architectural firm of Greene and Greene became famous for their high-quality craftsmanship and their unique contribution to the American Arts and Crafts movement in the early twentieth century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.