Middle English (denoting a spicy sauce): perhaps from a misreading (as gravé) of Old French grané, probably from grain 'spice', from Latin granum 'grain'.

• In medieval cookbooks gravy describes a spicy sauce, usually consisting of broth, milk of almonds, spices, and wine or ale. Only in the late 16th century did it start to refer to a sauce made out of meat juices. The most likely explanation for the word's origin is that someone misread Old French grané as gravé, which is quite possible given the similarity between ‘u’ and ‘n’ and that u was used to represent v in medieval manuscripts. Grané probably derived from grain ‘spice’, from Latin granum ‘grain’. Gravy has also meant ‘money that is easily acquired’ since the start of the 20th century, and to board the gravy train is to obtain access to an easy source of financial gain. Here ‘gravy train’ is perhaps a play on ‘gravy boat’, a long, narrow jug used for serving gravy.