Word: boy Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- Proto-Germanic *bō- Proto-West Germanic *bōjō Old English *bōia Middle English boye English boy From Middle English boy /boye (“servant, commoner, knave, boy”), from Old English *bōia (“boy”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōjō, from Proto-Germanic *bōjô (“younger brother, young male relation”), from Proto-Germanic *bō- (“brother, close male relation”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-, *bʰāt- (“father, elder brother, brother”). Cognate with Scots boy (“boy”), West Frisian boai (“boy”), Dutch boi (“boy”), Low German Boi (“boy”), and probably to the Old English proper name Bōia. Also related to West Flemish boe (“brother”), Norwegian dialectal boa (“brother”), Dutch boef (“rogue, knave”), Bavarian Bua (“young boy, lad”), German Bube ("boy; knave; jack"; > English bub), Icelandic bófi (“rogue, crook, bandit, knave”), Lombard bagaj. See also bully. Pronunciation: /bɔɪ/, /boj/, /boɪ/, /bɔːə/, /bɒj/ 1. A male child. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Kieran plays football with other boys in his school. Example: The ſtretes of the cite alſo ſhalbe full of yonge boyes and damſelles, playnge vpon the ſtretes. 2. A young man. Labels: broadly, countable, informal, uncountable Example: Kate is dating a boy named Jim. 3. A son of any age. Labels: broadly, countable, diminutive, especially, uncountable Example: Low as that tide has ebbed with me, / It still reflects to memory’s eye / The hour, my brave, my only boy, / Fell by the side of great Dundee. Example: I tried. I tried. But he wouldn't listen. My boy was stubborn. My boy was strong. And he was gonna get himself killed. Now I told him, I told him I did it too. That I was like Hoffman, getting by, and that's what you heard that night: me talking him down, him kicking and screaming until the fight went out of him. He put me up on a pedestal. And I had to show him that I was down in the gutter with the rest of them. Broke my boy. I broke my boy. 4. A male human younger than the speaker. Labels: broadly, countable, diminutive, endearing, uncountable 5. A male human of any age, as opposed to a "girl" (female human of any age). Labels: broadly, countable, derogatory, informal, mildly, sometimes, uncountable Example: boys' club Example: "My dear girl, what has he done?" said Mrs. Mallowe, sweetly. It is noticeable that ladies of a certain age call each other "dear girl," just as commissioners of twenty-eight years' standing address their equals in the Civil List as "my boy." 6. A male of low station, (especially as pejorative) a worthless male, a wretch; a mean and dishonest male, a knave. Labels: broadly, countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: Do’ſt thou call mee foole boy? 7. A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee, particularly Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable Example: He allowed his ‘boy’ - an overfed young negro from the coast - to treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence. Example: “Why does he go out and pinch all his dogs in person? He’s an administrator, isn’t he? Wouldn’t he hire a boy or something?” “We call them ‘staff,’” Roger replies, […] 8. A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable Example: I resolved to continue in the Cave, with my two Servants, my Maid, and a Boy, whom I had brought from France. 9. A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee Labels: broadly, countable, historical, offensive, uncountable Example: My Boy Stephen Grauener. Example: They picked out two of the strongest of the Boys (as they call the Men) about the place. 10. A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee Labels: broadly, countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: If any water be rough and boysterous, or the chanell verye broade, it manye times drowneth the carriages and the boyes and nowe and then slouthfull and lyther souldiours. Example: Godes plud kil the boyes and the lugyge, Tis the arrants peece of knauery[…] 11. Any non-white male, regardless of age. Labels: broadly, countable, offensive, uncountable Example: A Hottentot... expects to be called by his name if addressed by any one who knows it; and by those to whom it is not known he expects to be called Hottentot... or boy. Example: Every darky, however old, is a boy. 12. A male friend. Labels: broadly, countable, especially, informal, uncountable Example: hanging with my boys Example: The next thing I remember, I am walking down the street / I'm feeling all right, I'm with my boys, I'm with my troops, yeah. 13. A male submissive. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. A male non-human animal, especially, in affectionate address, a male pet, especially a dog. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: C'mere, boy! Good boy! Who's a good boy? Example: Are you getting a boy cat or a girl cat? 15. A former low rank of various armed services; a holder of this rank. Labels: countable, historical, uncountable Example: Wounded... 1 Boy, 1st class, severely. Example: He joined the Navy as a boy second class in 1898. 16. Heroin. Labels: US, slang, uncountable Example: […] drove by a corner, saw what I thought—no, what I knew—were dealers and asked if they knew where I could get some boy. 17. A male (tree, gene, etc). Labels: childish, countable, often, uncountable Example: Are there “boy” trees and “girl” trees? Yes. A number of species, among them the yew, holly and date-bearing palm, have their male and female flowers on different trees. The male holly, for instance, must be planted fairly close to the female ... Example: Of the 100 percent total, 25 will have two girl genes, 50 will have one boy and one girl gene, and 25 will have two boy genes. 18. Any tangible object close to one's person; often used in emphatic forms such as bad boy. Labels: colloquial, countable, endearing, uncountable Example: This boy can really kick!