boy

boy
[[t]bɔɪ[/t]]
n.
1) a male child, from birth to full growth
2) a young man who lacks maturity, judgment, etc
3) inf Informal. a grown man, esp. when referred to familiarly
4) cvb a son
5) a male who is from or native to a given place:
He's a country boy[/ex]
6) clo boys, (used with a sing. or pl. v.)
a) clo a range of sizes from 8 to 20 in garments for boys
b) clo a garment in this range
7) sts off Disparaging and Offensive. (a contemptuous term used to refer to or address a man considered to be inferior in race, nationality, or occupational status.)
8) Usually Offensive. (a term used to refer to or address a male servant or domestic employee.)
9) cvb (an exclamation of wonder, approval, etc., or of displeasure or contempt.)
•
Etymology: 1250–1300; ME boy(e), bye servant, commoner, boy; of obscure orig. usage: Definition8, usually referring to nonwhites, is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as insulting. It is used most often to emphasize the speaker's low opinion of the person referred to. Definition9, less common today, was originally used in colonial territories such as India to refer to a native male servant.

From formal English to slang. 2014.

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Synonyms:
, ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • boy — boy …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Boy — bezeichnet: Boy (Album), Album der Band U2 Bottrop Boy, ein Stadtteil von Bottrop BOY (Band), deutsch schweizer Pop Duo Boy ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Adolf Boy (1612–um 1680), deutscher Maler Dietrich Jürgen Boy (1724–1803),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Boy — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres > Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • boy — [ bɔj ] n. m. • 1843; mot angl. « garçon » 1 ♦ Jeune domestique indigène dans les pays autrefois colonisés. « Nous engageons [...] deux boys et un cuisinier » (A. Gide). 2 ♦ (1956) Danseur de music hall. Vedette entourée de boys et de girls. ⊗… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Boy — Boy, n. [Cf. D. boef, Fries. boi, boy; akin to G. bube, Icel. bofi rouge.] 1. A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad; hence, a son. [1913 Webster] My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] Note: Boy …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Boy (U2) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Boy. Boy Album par U2 Sortie 20 octobre 1980 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Boy — [bɔy̮], der; s, s: livrierter [Hotel]diener: der Boy brachte ihn im Lift nach oben. Syn.: ↑ Diener, dienstbarer Geist. Zus.: Hotelboy, Liftboy. * * * Boy1 〈[bɔı] m. 6〉 = Boi Boy2 〈[bɔı] m. 6〉 Laufjunge, Bote, jugendl. Angestellter in Hotels ( …   Universal-Lexikon

  • boy — s.m. (Rar) 1. Servitor indigen din colonii (mai ales în hoteluri). 2. Dansator dintr un ansamblu de music hall. [< engl. boy – băiat]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 21.11.2004. Sursa: DN  boy (angl.) s. m., art. bóy ul; pl. bóy, art. bóy i [pro …   Dicționar Român

  • Boy A — Données clés Réalisation John Crowley Scénario Mark O Rowe d après le roman de Jonathan Trigell Acteurs principaux Andrew Garfield Peter Mullan Katie Lyons Sociétés de production Cuba Pictures Grande Bretagne …   Wikipédia en Français

  • boy — mid 13c., boie servant, commoner, knave, boy, possibly from O.Fr. embuie one fettered, from V.L. *imboiare, from L. boia leg iron, yoke, leather collar, from Gk. boeiai dorai ox hides. But it also appears to be identical with E.Fris. boi young… …   Etymology dictionary

  • boy — [boi] n. [ME boie, servant, commoner, knave, boy < ? OFr embuié, one fettered < embuier, to chain < em , EN 1 + L boiae, fetters, orig., leather collar for the neck < bos, ox, COW1] 1. a male child from birth to the age of physical… …   English World dictionary

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