Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "Eminence grise" shine mutumin da ke cikin matsayi ko matsayi, amma yana aiki a ɓoye ko a bayan fage, sau da yawa ba tare da sanin hukuma ko kulawar jama'a ba. Ana yawan amfani da kalmar don bayyana mai ba da shawara mai ƙarfi da tasiri ko mai ba da shawara wanda ke da babban tasiri a bayan fage a cikin gwamnati ko ƙungiya. Kalmar ta samo asali ne daga yaren Faransanci, inda “eminence grise” a zahiri na nufin “fitaccen launin toka,” yana nufin launin toka na irin wannan mutumin.