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  • ️Tue Jul 04 2023

View synonyms for Y

noun

plural Y's or Ys, y's or ys.

  1. the 25th letter of the English alphabet, a semivowel.

  2. any spoken sound represented by the letter Y or y, as in yet, city, or rhythm.

  3. something having the shape of a

    Y

    .

  4. a written or printed representation of the letter Y or y.

  5. a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter Y or y.

  1. a native English suffix of adjectives meaning “characterized by or inclined to” the substance or action of the word or stem to which the suffix is attached: juicy; grouchy; rumbly; dreamy. Sometimes used to mean “allowing, fostering, or bringing about” the specified action: sippy.

abbreviation for

  1. the Y, Informal. the YMCA, YWCA, YMHA, or YWHA.

  1. a noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, added to monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliest use, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or common nouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives ( Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy ). The hypocoristic

    feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simply informal and sometimes pejorative ( boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie ). Another function of -y2 -ie

    is the formation from adjectives of nouns that denote exemplary or extreme instances of the quality named by the adjective ( baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie ), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective ( sharpie; sickie; whitey ). A few words in which the informal character of -y2 -ie

    has been lost are now standard in formal written English ( goalie; movie ).

abbreviation for

  1. a suffix of various origins used in the formation of action nouns from verbs ( inquiry ), also found in other abstract nouns:

    carpentry; infamy.

  1. the 25th in order or in a series.

  2. (sometimes lowercase)

    the medieval Roman numeral for 150.

    Compare Roman numerals.

  2. (in Cartesian coordinates) the y-axis.

  1. a prefix occurring in certain obsolete words ( ywis ) and especially in archaic past participles:

    yclad.

abbreviation for

abbreviation for

symbol for

  1. the y- axis or a coordinate measured along the y- axis in a Cartesian coordinate system

abbreviation for

/ waɪ /

noun

  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

    1. something shaped like a Y

    2. ( in combination )

      a Y-cross

symbol for

  1. any unknown, unspecified, or variable factor, number, person, or thing

    1. yen

    2. yuan

suffix forming adjectives

  1. from nouns characterized by; consisting of; filled with; relating to; resembling

  2. from verbs tending to; acting or existing as specified

suffix

  1. denoting smallness and expressing affection and familiarity

  2. a person or thing concerned with or characterized by being

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Y1

Old English -ig; cognate with German -ig; compare perhaps Latin -icus, Greek -ikos

Origin of Y2

From late Middle English (Scots), originally in names; of uncertain origin; baby

and puppy,

now felt as having this suffix, may be of different derivation

Origin of Y3

Representing Latin -ia, -ium; Greek -ia, -eia, -ion; French -ie; German -ie

Origin of Y4

Middle English y-, i- (reduced variant a- ), Old English ge-, prefix with perfective, intensifying, or collective force; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon ge-, gi-, Gothic ga-, German ge-; compare perhaps Latin com- com-

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Y1

from Old English -ig, -ǣg

Origin of Y2

C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie ( James )

Origin of Y3

from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia