grey goo

English

Alternative forms

• gray goo (chiefly US)

Etymology

Coined by Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation.

Noun

grey goo (uncountable)

1. A hypothetical end-of-the-world event involving nanotechnology, in which out-of-control self-replicating nanobots consume all life on Earth (or another planet or moon).
   • 2007 August 24, Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary‎^[1], archived from the original on 11 May 2024:

     "Our first priority has to be quarantining Xinchub's body, and examining any Yomingians who may have handled it. I don't think we're headed for a grey-goo scenario here, but we'd all feel really bad if the local biosphere got consumed by nanobots after we left."