-y


-y 1

or -eysuff.1. Characterized by; consisting of: clayey.2. a. Like: summery.b. To some degree; somewhat; rather: chilly.3. Tending toward; inclined toward: sleepy.
[Middle English, from Old English -ig.]

-y 2

suff.1. Condition; state; quality: jealousy.2. a. Activity: cookery.b. Instance of a specified action: entreaty.3. a. Place for an activity: cannery.b. Result or product of an activity: laundry.4. Collection; body; group: soldiery.
[Middle English -ie, from Old French, from Latin -ia. Sense 2b, ultimately from Latin -ium.]

-y 3

or -iesuff.1. Small one: doggy.2. Dear one: sweetie.3. One having to do with or characterized by: townie.
[Middle English -ie, -y.]

-y

or

-ey

suffix forming adjectives1. (from nouns) characterized by; consisting of; filled with; relating to; resembling: sunny; sandy; smoky; classy. 2. (from verbs) tending to; acting or existing as specified: leaky; shiny. [from Old English -ig, -ǣg]

-y

,

-ie

or

-ey

suffix1. denoting smallness and expressing affection and familiarity: a doggy; a granny; Jamie. 2. a person or thing concerned with or characterized by being: a groupie; a fatty. [C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-y

suffix forming nouns 1. (from verbs) indicating the act of doing what is indicated by the verbal element: inquiry. 2. (esp with combining forms of Greek, Latin, or French origin) indicating state, condition, or quality: geography; jealousy. [from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia]

Y, y

(waɪ)

n., pl. Ys Y's, ys y's. 1. the 25th letter of the English alphabet, a semivowel. 2. any spoken sound represented by this letter. 3. something shaped like a Y. 4. a written or printed representation of the letter Y or y.

Y

(waɪ) the Y, Informal. the YMCA, YWCA, YMHA, or YWHA.

Y

yen 1.

Y


Symbol. 1. the 25th in order or in a series. 2. (sometimes l.c.) Elect. admittance. 3. Chem. yttrium. 4. Biochem. tyrosine.

y


Math. Symbol. an unknown quantity or a variable.

y-

or i-

a prefix occurring in certain obsolete words (iwis) and esp. in archaic past participles (yclad; yclept). [Middle English y-, i- (reduced variant a-), Old English ge-, prefix with perfective, intensifying, or collective force; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon ge-, gi-, Old High German ga-, gi, Gothic ga-]

-y1

or -ey

an adjective-forming suffix meaning “characterized by or inclined to” the substance or action of the word or stem to which the suffix is attached: bloody; cloudy; sexy; squeaky. [Old English -ig; c. German -ig]

-y2

or -ie

a noun-forming suffix, added to monosyllabic bases, occurring in endearing or familiar names or common nouns formed from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives (Billy; Susie; birdie; granny; sweetie; tummy) and in various other usu. informal coinages, sometimes pejorative (boonies; goalie; groupie; Okie; rookie). This suffix also forms from adjectives nouns that denote exemplary or extreme instances of the quality specified (baddie; biggie), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usu. unfavorable sense of the adjective (sharpie; sickie; whitey). Compare -o, -sy. [late Middle English (Scots)]

-y3

, a suffix of various origins used in the formation of action nouns from verbs (inquiry), and also found in other abstract nouns (infamy). [representing Latin -ia -ia, -ium -ium1; Greek -ia, -eia, -ion; French -ie; German -ie]

y.

1. yard. 2. year.