Word: toy Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Inherited from Middle English toye (“amorous play, piece of fun or entertainment”), probably from Middle Dutch toy, tuyg (“tools, apparatus, utensil, ornament”) as in Dutch speel-tuig (“plaything, toy”), from Old Dutch *tiug, from Proto-West Germanic *tiugī̆, *teug, from Proto-Germanic *teugą (“stuff, matter, device, gear, lever”, literally “that which is drawn or pulled”), from Proto-Germanic *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”). Cognate with Dutch tuig (“thing”), German Zeug (“stuff”), Danish tøj (“stuff”), Icelandic tygi, Norwegian tøy (“equipment, riggings, stuff”), Swedish tyg (“cloth, textile, fabric”). Related to tug, tow, taw, tew. Pronunciation: /tɔɪ/, /taɪ/, /tɑɪ/ 1. Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. Example: A grown man like him does not play with a child’s toy. 2. A thing of little importance or value; a trifle. Example: tis a pretie toy to be a Poet. Example: he had deflowered the abbess, and as many besides of the nuns as he could, and leaves him withal rings, jewels, girdles, and such toys to give them still, when they came to visit him. 3. A simple, light piece of music, written especially for the virginal. 4. Ellipsis of toy dog. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis Example: Since standards are large dogs, they grow much more rapidly than miniatures and toys, which means that they require more supplements. 5. Love play, amorous dalliance; fondling. Labels: obsolete Example: Then seemed him his Lady by him lay, / And to him playnd, how that false winged boy, / Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame pleasures toy. 6. A vague fancy, a ridiculous idea or notion; a whim. Labels: obsolete Example: Though they do talk with you, and seem to be otherwise employed, and to your thinking very intent and busy, still that toy runs in their mind, that fear, that suspicion, that abuse, that jealousy […]. Example: To fly about playing their wanton toys. 7. An old story; a silly tale. Labels: obsolete Example: More strange than true: I never may believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys. 8. A headdress of linen or wool that hangs down over the shoulders, worn by elderly women of the lower classes. Labels: Scotland, archaic Example: Having, moreover, put on her clean toy, rokelay, and scarlet plaid. 9. Ellipsis of sex toy. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, euphemistic 10. An inferior graffiti artist. Labels: derogatory, slang Example: It is incorrect to say that toys tag and masters piece; toys just do bad tags, bad throw-ups, and bad pieces. Example: I was a toy until I met Sear, who moved here from Toronto and showed me the book Subway Art. 11. A gun. Labels: Multicultural-London-English, slang Example: RONNIE: Now, that is a SIG Sauer P226. JIMMY VICKERS (played by Danny Dyer): Yeah, takes 19 in the clip. It’s effective up to 50 metres. RONNIE: Man knows his toys. 12. The penis. Labels: dated, euphemistic, slang 13. The vagina. Labels: dated, euphemistic, slang 14. A watch. Labels: dated, slang Example: a toy and tackle (a watch and chain) Example: Me and the other one went by ourselves; he was very tricky (clever) at getting a poge or a toy, but he would not touch toys because we was afraid of being turned over (searched). 15. A small jar (about an inch across) used to hold prepared opium. Labels: dated, slang Example: Sonia, with a woman's dainty deftness in small matters, dug out the chocolate-colored opium from a little white jar, a "toey," cooking it over a steady flame of peanut-oil. Example: Chang was always on call, to go to Americans with "toys" of hop, ready to "cook," if desired by his patrons. 16. A small ball of opium (about the size of a pea). Labels: dated, slang Example: I smoked a toy a day, same as on the ship. You could buy a small toy for two dollars. Example: The act at the Alamo began with Jackson sprawled on a chair and pretending to be smoking opium. He used a broom handle with a tin cup at the end as if he were cooking opium. There wasn't a patron in the joint who had to ask what they were pretending to do. When Jackson took small balls of wax and said he was making "toys," everybody laughed.