Question

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.

Which dictionary definition BEST applies to the word gross as it is used in this sentence?
A) flagrant or extreme
B) indecent or disgusting
C) a group of 12 dozen or 144
D) income or wages without deductions

Answer 1

The correct answer here is A.

The word "gross" in this line from Frederick Douglas's famous speech named
“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” means flagrant or extreme. This term is often used with the word "injustice" and it means unacceptable and obvious which is definition for flagrant as well.