gey

Etymology

Originally a variant form of gay, now associated with distinct senses.

Adverb

gey (comparative more gey, superlative most gey)

1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) Very. [from 17th c.]
   • 1816, Sir Walter Scott, The Antiquary, Oxford University Press, 2002, p.207:

     I am nae believer in auld wives' stories about ghaists, though this is gey like a place for them - But mortal, or of the other world, here they come! - twa men and a light.

   • 2001, David Thomson, The People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Seal-folk, Canongate Books, p.213:

     But I'll put a gold chain around his neck, An' a gey good chain it'll be.

Adjective

gey (comparative more gey, superlative most gey)

1. (Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) Fairly good; considerable. [from 18th c.]
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 16:

     They were married next New Year's Day, and Ellison had begun to think himself a gey man in Kinraddie, and maybe one of the gentry.

Anagrams

• Egy., yeg

Noun

gey m

1. Eclipsed form of key.

Mutation

Alternative forms

• gye

Etymology

Alteration of English gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeɪ/, /ɡʌi/

Adverb

gey (not comparable)

1. very
2. quite

Etymology

Borrowed from English gay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɟej/

Noun

gey (definite accusative geyi, plural geyler)

1. A gay, a homosexual male.