boy

noun18

1. •
   a male child

   • Kieran plays football with other boys in his school.
2. •
   A male human younger than the speaker.
3. •
   (informal) A young man.

   • Kate is dating a boy named Jim.
4. •
   (informal) A male friend.

   • The next thing I remember, I am walking down the street / I'm feeling all right, I'm with my boys, I'm with my troops, yeah. — 1980
5. •
   A son of any age.

   • Low as that tide has ebbed with me, / It still reflects to memory’s eye / The hour, my brave, my only boy, / Fell by the side of great Dundee. — 1805
6. •
   (informal) A male human of any age, as opposed to a "girl" (female human of any age).

   • "I know. Libert Valance and a couple of his boys." — 1949
7. •
   A male non-human animal, especially, in affectionate address, a male pet, especially a dog.

   • C'mere, boy! Good boy! Who's a good boy?
   • Are you getting a boy cat or a girl cat?
8. •
   A male (tree, gene, etc).

   • Of the 100 percent total, 25 will have two girl genes, 50 will have one boy and one girl gene, and 25 will have two boy genes. — 1970
9. •
   (informal) Any tangible object close to one's person; often used in emphatic forms such as bad boy.

   • This boy can really kick!
10. •
    A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee.

    • He allowed his ‘boy’ - an overfed young negro from the coast - to treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence. — 1899
11. •
    A younger such worker.

    • I resolved to continue in the Cave, with my two Servants, my Maid, and a Boy, whom I had brought from France. — 1721
12. •
    (offensive, historical) A non-white male servant regardless of age, particularly as a form of address.

    • My Boy Stephen Grauener. — 1625
13. •
    (offensive) Any non-white male, regardless of age.

    • A Hottentot... expects to be called by his name if addressed by any one who knows it; and by those to whom it is not known he expects to be called Hottentot... or boy. — 1812
14. •
    (US, slang) Heroin.

    • […] drove by a corner, saw what I thought—no, what I knew—were dealers and asked if they knew where I could get some boy. — 2021
15. •
    (slang) A male submissive.
16. •
    (historical) A former low rank of various armed services; a holder of this rank.

    • Wounded... 1 Boy, 1st class, severely. — 1841
17. •
    (no longer used) A male camp follower.

    • If any water be rough and boysterous, or the chanell verye broade, it manye times drowneth the carriages and the boyes and nowe and then slouthfull and lyther souldiours. — 1572
18. •
    (no longer used) A male of low station, (especially as pejorative) a worthless male, a wretch; a mean and dishonest male, a knave.

    • Do’st thou call mee foole boy? — 1603

exclamation1

1. •
   Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.

   • Boy, that was close!
   • Boy, that tastes good!

verb1

1. •
   To act as a boy (in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage).

   • I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness. — 1606

adjective1

1. •
   Initialism of beginning of year.