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Boy vs Coy - What's the difference?

boy | coy |

As nouns the difference between boy and coy

is that boy is while coy is a trap from which waterfowl may be hunted.

As an adjective coy is

(dated) bashful, shy, retiring.

As a verb coy is

(obsolete) to caress, pet; to coax, entice.

boy

English

Alternative forms

* boi (Jamaican English)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Male servant.
  • # (now, rare) A male servant, in general senses.
  • # (historical, now, offensive) A non-white male servant, as used especially by whites in a colonial settlement etc.
  • When the 'dipenda' (independence movement) in Belgian Congo turned violent, the white colonisers' often materially privileged black domestic boys were mistrusted and often abused as collaborators.
  • # (now, offensive) A non-white male.
  • (obsolete) A lower-class or disreputable man; a worthless person.
  • * 1608 , (William Shakespeare), (King Lear) , Act I Scene 4:
  • Dost thou call me fool, boy ?
  • A young male human; a male child or young adult.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author= Ian Sample
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=34, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains , passage=Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.  ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys , but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.}}
  • A son.
  • * (Walter Scott)
  • My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee.
  • A man of any age, used as a friendly diminutive, or of a man who is merely younger than the speaker.
  • * 1977 , (Bert Newton), to (Mohammed Ali) at the 1977 Logie Awards:[http://www.abc.net.au/thingo/txt/s1088100.htm]
  • I like the boy .
  • (colloquial) A male friend or fellow of some group, community etc. (mainly used in the plural).
  • (US, slang) Heroin.
  • Synonyms

    * brat * knave * lad * squirt * youngster * youth * See also

    See also

    * (African-American) uncle

    Antonyms

    * (young male) girl

    Derived terms

    * altar boy * attaboy * bad boy * bagboy * ball boy, ballboy * bat boy * b-boy * bell boy, bellboy * best boy * big boys * blue-eyed boy * boi * boy band * boy-bishop * boy crazy * boyfriend * boy genius * boyhood * boy howdy * boyish * boyism * boykin (diminutive) * boy oh boy * boy racer * boys and their toys * boy scout * boytjie * boy toy * boys will be boys * boy wonder * bully boy * bum boy * cabin boy * city boy * college boy * copy boy * cowboy * delivery boy * doughboy * farm boy * frat boy * golden boy * homeboy * house boy * lawnboy * little boy * lowboy * mama’s boy]], [[mummy's boy, mummy’s boy * my boy * nancy boy * newsboy * office boy * oh boy * old boy * our boy * page boy, pageboy * paper boy, paperboy * pizza boy, pizzaboy * pool boy * poor boy, po’ boy * poster boy * potboy * pretty boy * rent boy * sailor boy * sea boy * shop boy * sonny boy * stableboy * tallboy * Teddy boy * tomboy * traffic boy * water boy * whipping boy * whiteboy, white boy * wide boy * wolf boy * yellow boy, yellow-boy

    Descendants

    * Irish English: boyo * Vietnamese:

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • to use the word boy to refer to someone
  • to act as a boy (qualifier, in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage)
  • * Shakespeare
  • I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness.

    See also

    * girl, man (antonyms in some senses) * *

    References

    *

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words ----

    coy

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) coi, earlier .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (dated) Bashful, shy, retiring.
  • (archaic) Quiet, reserved, modest.
  • Reluctant to give details about something sensitive; notably prudish.
  • Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.
  • Soft, gentle, hesitating.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Enforced hate, / Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee.
    Derived terms
    * coyly * coyness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To caress, pet; to coax, entice.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, / While I thy amiable cheeks do coy .
  • (obsolete) To calm or soothe.
  • To allure; to decoy.
  • * Bishop Rainbow
  • A wiser generation, who have the art to coy the fonder sort into their nets.

    Etymology 2

    Compare decoy.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A trap from which waterfowl may be hunted.
  • References

    * [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=coy&searchmode=none]