BOY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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boy

[ boi ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a male child, from birth to full growth, especially one less than 18 years of age.
a young man who lacks maturity, judgment, etc.
Informal. a grown man, especially when referred to familiarly:
He liked to play poker with the boys.
a son:
Sam's oldest boy is helping him in the business.
a male who is from or native to a given place:
He's a Mississippi boy.
boys, (used with a singular or plural verb)
1. a range of sizes from 8 to 20 in garments made for boys.
2. a garment in this size range.
3. the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.
boys, military personnel, especially combat soldiers:
Support the boys overseas.
Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to or address a man considered by the speaker to be inferior in ethnicity, nationality, or occupational status.
a young male servant; page.
Offensive. (in India, China, Japan, etc.) a male servant, working as a butler, waiter, houseboy, etc.
Nautical. an apprentice seaman or fisherman.

interjection

an exclamation of wonder, approval, etc., or of displeasure or contempt.

boy

/ ��ɔɪ /

noun

a male child; lad; youth
a man regarded as immature or inexperienced
he's just a boy when it comes to dealing with women
See old boy
informal.
a group of men, esp a group of friends
derogatory.
(esp in former colonial territories) a Black person or native male servant of any age
a jockey or apprentice
short for boyfriend
boys will be boys
youthful indiscretion or exuberance must be expected and tolerated
jobs for the boys informal.
appointment of one's supporters to posts, without reference to their qualifications or ability
the boy informal.
the right tool for a particular task
that's the boy to cut it

interjection

an exclamation of surprise, pleasure, contempt, etc
boy, is he going to be sorry!

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Sensitive Note

During the slavery and Jim Crow eras, white southerners would use the term boy to refer to or address a Black adult male, implying that Black people were inferior. In the meaning “native male servant,” boy was originally used in colonial territories and in the ports of China, Japan, etc., through which trade with foreign countries was permitted by special treaty.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of boy¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English boy(e), perhaps after Old English ��ō�� a man's name; cognate with Frisian boi “young man”; akin to Old English ��ō�ڲ�, Old Norse ��ō�ھ�, Old High German Buobo a man's name ( German Bube “knave” (dialectal “boy, lad”)

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of boy¹

C13 (in the sense: male servant; C14: young male): of uncertain origin; perhaps from Anglo-French ��ܾ�é fettered (unattested), from Latin boia fetter

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Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with boys , also see fair-haired boy ; mama's boy ; separate the men from the boys ; whipping boy .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The ending shouldn’t be spoiled, but even at its finale, “Eric LaRue” refuses to provide clear-cut clues on how to feel about this mother or her boy.

From

He also said one of his staff had to deal with the aftermath of a stabbing while on their way to work recently when "two young boys" had been stabbed in the head and neck.

From

“This is about the Dodgers. Because these boys were there for me.”

From

Emergency services were called to Ramsden Street in the town centre at about 14:45 BST on Thursday and the boy was taken to hospital where he later died from injuries to his neck.

From

A husband and wife from County Antrim convicted of serious crimes against a four week old baby boy have been sentenced to 22 years and four years.

From

Related �y��vlogs

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More About Boy

Where does the word boy come from?

Like girl, boy dates back to around 1250–1300. Also like the word girl, the ultimate origin of the word boy is obscure.

There are some clues to the roots of boy, however. It might be based on the Old English ��ō��, a male given name. Furthermore, boy is related to the Frisian boi, “young man,” and the German Bube, “knave, boy, lad.” (Frisian, a language spoken in the northern Netherlands, is the Germanic language most closely related to English.) Interestingly, that German sense of “knave” is close in meaning to “male servant,” one of the earliest uses of ��ǲ�.��

Boy isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other �y��vlogs That We Don’t Know Where They Came From.”

Did you know … ?

While boy usually means a male child, there are multiple instances where boy refers to a young adult or adult man. For instance, a boy band is often made up of young adult male performers, and a cowboy is a man that works on a ranch with cows. Adult men may also sometimes refer to his buddies as his boys or the boys. Parents will also frequently refer to their sons as their boys regardless of their age. Boy appears in countless expressions, from bad boy to boy oh boy!

Please note: calling Black adult men or other male members of minority groups boy is offensive. Read our Usage Note for more important context.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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