Gross has several meanings. Someone could say use the word as an adjective. Ex. "The food was gross." It is also a form or measurement. Ex. " What is your gross income?" -> Meaning what is your overall earnings without deductions, such as taxes. OR "What is the gross weight of the package?" -> In this case they want to know how much the entire package weighed (the item being shipped + the packaging = the gross weight) I hope those examples help with your understanding of the word.