The Old Boy

The Old Boy
Boy Boy, n. [Cf. D. boef, Fries. boi, boy; akin to G. bube, Icel. bofi rouge.] 1. A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad; hence, a son. [1913 Webster]

My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

Note: Boy is often used as a term of comradeship, as in college, or in the army or navy. In the plural used colloquially of members of an associaton, fraternity, or party. [1913 Webster]

2. In various countries, a male servant, laborer, or slave of a native or inferior race; also, any man of such a race; -- considered derogatory by those so called, and now seldom used. [derog.]

He reverted again and again to the labor difficulty, and spoke of importing boys from Capetown. --Frances Macnab. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

{Boy bishop}, a boy (usually a chorister) elected bishop, in old Christian sports, and invested with robes and other insignia. He practiced a kind of mimicry of the ceremonies in which the bishop usually officiated.

{The Old Boy}, the Devil. [Slang]

{Yellow boys}, guineas. [Slang, Eng.]

{Boy's love}, a popular English name of Southernwood ({Artemisia abrotonum}); -- called also {lad's love}.

{Boy's play}, childish amusements; anything trifling. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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