grands

Grands is the masculine plural form of the French adjective grand. It is used to modify masculine plural nouns to indicate size, importance, or status. In standard French, grands precede the noun: grands bâtiments (large buildings), grands hommes (great men). The form also appears in common compound terms such as grands magasins (department stores) and grands esprits (great minds). In historical or literary contexts, les Grands can refer to eminent persons or the social elite.

In English slang, grand means a thousand dollars (or pounds). The plural grands is used informally to denote sums of money, as in five grands. This usage is conversational and primarily American; it is not appropriate in formal writing.

Etymology and notes: grands derives from Old French grand, from Latin grandis meaning large or great. The sense of largeness travels into many descendant phrases in both French and English, where grands can appear as part of idioms or as a stylistic form in titles referring to notable people. In modern usage, the word is primarily recognized as the plural form of the French adjective or as informal slang in English.