coy

See also: cố ý

English

WOTD – 15 July 2007

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔɪ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪ
  • Homophone: koi

Etymology 1

From Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin quietus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quiet.

Adjective

coy (comparative coyer, superlative coyest)

  1. (dated) Bashful, shy, retiring.
  2. (archaic) Quiet, reserved, modest.
  3. Reluctant to give details about something sensitive; notably prudish.
  4. Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.
  5. Soft, gentle, hesitating.
    • Shakespeare
      Enforced hate, / Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee.
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

coy (third-person singular simple present coys, present participle coying, simple past and past participle coyed)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To caress, pet; to coax, entice.
    • Shakespeare
      Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, / While I thy amiable cheeks do coy.
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To calm or soothe.
  3. 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

coy (plural coys)

  1. A trap from which waterfowl may be hunted.

Etymology 3

Abbreviation of company.

Noun

coy (plural coys)

  1. (military) A company

References

  • “coy” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.

Anagrams

Middle French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French coi, from Vulgar Latin quetus, from Latin quietus.

Adjective

coy m (feminine singular coye, masculine plural coys, feminine plural coyes)

  1. (of a person) calm; composed

Descendants

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.