Y is the twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet.
2. singular noun
A YMCA or YWCA hostel is sometimes referred to as the Y.
[US, informal]
I took him to the Y.
-y
(-i)
Word forms: plural -ies, comparative -ier, superlative -iest
1. suffix
-y is added to nouns in order to form adjectives that describe something or someone as having the characteristics of what the noun refers to.
...a smoky pub.
...juicy red berries.
The process results in a much fruitier wine.
2. suffix
-y is added to colours in order to form adjectives that describe something as beingroughly that colour or having some of that colour in it.
...a rich, reddy, brown wood.
Her eyes were a bluey-green colour.
3. suffix
-y is added to a name or a noun in order to give it a more affectionate or familiar form.
'How are you, Mikey?'.
Move the little doggy.
y in British English
or Y (waɪ)
nounWord forms: pluraly's, Y's or Ys
1.
the 25th letter of the modern English alphabet
2.
a speech sound represented by this letter, in English usually a semivowel, as in yawn, or a vowel, as in symbol or shy
3.
a.
something shaped like a Y
b.
(in combination)
a Y-cross
y in British English
mathematics
symbol for
1.
the y-axis or a coordinate measured along the y-axis in a Cartesian coordinate system
2.
an algebraic variable
Y in British English
symbol for
1.
any unknown, unspecified, or variable factor, number, person, or thing
2. chemistry
yttrium
3. currency
a.
yen
b.
yuan
y. in British English
abbreviation for
year
year in British English
(jɪə)
noun
1. Also called: civil year
the period of time, the calendar year, containing 365 days or in a leap year 366 days. It is based on the Gregorian calendar, being divided into 12 calendar months, and is reckoned from January 1 to December 31
2.
a period of twelve months from any specified date, such as one based on the four seasons
3.
a specific period of time, usually occupying a definite part or parts of a twelve-month period, used for some particular activity
a school year
4. Also called: astronomical year, tropical year
the period of time, the solar year, during which the earth makes one revolution around the sun, measured between two successive vernal equinoxes: equal to 365.242 19 days
5.
the period of time, the sidereal year, during which the earth makes one revolution around the sun, measured between twosuccessive conjunctions of a particular distant star: equal to 365.256 36 days
6.
the period of time, the lunar year, containing 12 lunar months and equal to 354.3671 days
7.
the period of time taken by a specified planet to complete one revolution around the sun
the Martian year
8. (plural)
age, esp old age
a man of his years should be more careful
9. (plural)
time
in years to come
10. (plural)
a long time
It took me years to recover.
I haven't laughed so much in years.
People hold onto letters for years and years.
I hadn't seen him for years
11.
a group of pupils or students, who are taught or study together, divided into classes at school
they are the best year we've ever had for history
12. put years on
13. take years off
14. the year dot
15. year and a day
16. year in, year out
▶ Related adjective: ▶ USAGE In writing spans of years, it is important to choose a style that avoids ambiguity.The practice adopted in this dictionary is, in four-figure dates, to specify the lasttwo digits of the second date if it falls within the same century as the first: 1801–08; 1850–51; 1899–1901. In writing three-figure bc dates, it is advisable to give both dates in full: 159–156 bc, not 159–56 bc unless of course the span referred to consists of 103 years rather than three years.It is also advisable to specify bc or ad in years under 1000 unless the context makes this self-evidentannual
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
Word origin
C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)
-y in British English3
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
Word origin
from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia
Y in American English1
(waɪ)
noun
1.
YMCA
2.
YWCA
3.
YMHA
4.
YWHA
Y in American English2
yotta-
Y in American English3
yen
now usually ¥
Y in American English4
1. Electricity
admittance
2. Chemistry
yttrium
y in American English1
(waɪ) or Y (waɪ)
nounWord forms: pluralY's or y's
1.
the twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet: from the Greek upsilon
2.
any of the speech sounds that this letter represents, as, in English, the semivowel( (j) ) at the beginning of a syllable, as in yes or beyond, or the vowel ( (ɪ) ) of myth, ( (i) ) of holy, or ( (aɪ) ) of my
3.
a type or impression for y or Y
4.
the twenty-fifth in a sequence or group
5.
an object shaped like Y
adjective
6.
of y or Y
7.
twenty-fifth in a sequence or group
8.
shaped like Y
y in American English2
(waɪ)
noun Ancient Mathematics
1.
the second of a set of unknown quantities, x usually being the first
2.
a variable
3.
an ordinate
y in American English3
1.
yard(s)
2.
year(s)
3.
yocto-
y- in American English
(i; ɪ)
forming, together with the appropriate inflectional change in the base, the past participle of verbs: its use, as a poetic archaism, survived until the end of the 16th cent.
yclept
Word origin
ME y-, i- < OE ge-, perfective prefix (basic sense “together”): for IE base see com-
-y in American English1
(i; ɪ)
1.
little, dear
used in forming diminutives, nicknames, and terms of endearment [kitty, Billy, daddy]
2. alt. sp. of
-ie (sense 2)
Word origin
ME -y, -i, -ie, prob. based on OFr -i, -e, in such familiar names as Davi (for David), Mathe (for Matheu), etc.
-y in American English2
(i; ɪ)
1.
having, full of, or characterized by
dirty, healthy
2.
rather, somewhat
yellowy, chilly, dusky
3.
inclined or tending to
drowsy, sticky
4.
suggestive of, somewhat like
wavy
▶ USAGE: Sometimes used with a slight intensive force that does not change the meaning ofthe root adjective [stilly]
Word origin
ME -y, -ie < OE -ig, akin to L -ic(us), Gr -ik(os)
-y in American English3
(i; ɪ)
1.
quality or condition
jealousy, zoanthropy
2.
a shop or goods of a (specified) kind
coopery
3.
a collective body of a (specified) kind
soldiery
Word origin
ME -ie < OFr < L -ia < or akin to Gr -ia, -eia
-y in American English4
(i; ɪ)
action of
inquiry
Word origin
ME -ie < Anglo-Fr < L -ium
Examples of 'y' in a sentence
y
y opened my eyes to the now-familiar blackness of my servant's chamber.
Robin Hobb THE GOLDEN FOOL: BOOK TWO OF THE TAWNY MAN (2002)
The general pulled out his last Havana cigar, a long thin Romeo y Julieta, and bit off the end.
Shah, Idries KARA KUSH
y, containing my seething affront at Jek's obvious assumption about us.
Robin Hobb THE GOLDEN FOOL: BOOK TWO OF THE TAWNY MAN (2002)
Once she finished thoughtfully studying the wine list, Marina favoured a white Concha y Toro.