coy

See also: cố ý

English

WOTD – 15 July 2007

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪ
• Homophone: koi

Etymology 1

(deprecated template usage)

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin quietus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quiet.

Adjective

coy (comparative coyer, superlative coyest)

1. (dated) Bashful, shy, retiring.
2. (archaic) Quiet, reserved, modest.
3. Reluctant to give details about something sensitive; notably prudish.
4. Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.
5. Soft, gentle, hesitating.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Enforced hate, / Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee.

Derived terms

• coyly
• coyness

Translations

bashful, shy

• Bulgarian: свенлив (bg) (svenliv), срамежлив (bg) (sramežliv)
• Dutch: bedeesd (nl), timide (nl), verlegen (nl)
• French: timide (fr)
• Georgian: მორცხვი (morcxvi)
• German: keusch (de), verlegen (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: szégyenlős (hu), félénk (hu)
• Italian: timido (it) m
• Russian: засте́нчивый (ru) (zasténčivyj), ро́бкий (ru) (róbkij)
• Spanish: tímido (es) m
• Turkish: mahcup (tr) (dated), utangaç (tr), çekingen (tr), muhteriz (tr) (archaic)

archaic: quiet, reserved, modest

• Bulgarian: тих (bg) (tih), мълчалив (bg) (mǎlčaliv)
• Dutch: bedeesd (nl), bescheiden (nl), timide (nl), schuchter (nl), verlegen (nl)
• French: coi (fr) (archaic)
• Georgian: მორიდებული (moridebuli)
• German: verschämt (de), schüchtern (de), zurückhaltend (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: schivo (it)
• Russian: скро́мный (ru) (skrómnyj)
• Spanish: recatado (es)
• Turkish: muhteriz (tr) (archaic), mahcup (tr) (dated)
• Walloon: coe (wa) m

reluctant to give details about something sensitive

• Bulgarian: сдържан (bg) (sdǎržan), дискретен (bg) (diskreten)
• Dutch: bescheiden (nl), discreet (nl), kuis (nl), terughoudend (nl)
• Georgian: თავშეკავებული (tavšeḳavebuli)
• German: diskret (de), prüde (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: modesto (it) m
• Russian: сде́ржанный (ru) (sdéržannyj)
• Spanish: discreto (es) m

pretending shyness or modesty

• Dutch: koket (nl)
• German: (rare) kokett (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Turkish: nazlı (tr), işveli (tr), cilveli (tr)

soft, gentle, hesitating

• German: zurückhaltend (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: нежный (ru) (nežnyj), мягкий (ru) (mjaxkij)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} feiminn (is), ^{(please verify)} óframfærinn, ^{(please verify)} hæglátur, ^{(please verify)} ekki jafn feiminn og hann lætur
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Verb

coy (third-person singular simple present coys, present participle coying, simple past and past participle coyed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To caress, pet; to coax, entice.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, / While I thy amiable cheeks do coy.

2. (transitive, obsolete) To calm or soothe.
3. To allure; to decoy.
   • (Can we date this quote by Bishop Rainbow and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     A wiser generation, who have the art to coy the fonder sort into their nets.

Etymology 2

Compare decoy.

Noun

coy (plural coys)

1. A trap from which waterfowl may be hunted.

Etymology 3

Abbreviation of company.

Noun

coy (plural coys)

1. (military) A company

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “coy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. [1]

Anagrams

• CYO

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Middle French

Alternative forms

• coi
• quoy

Etymology

From Old French coi, from Vulgar Latin quetus, from Latin quietus.

Adjective

coy m (feminine singular coye, masculine plural coys, feminine plural coyes)

1. (of a person) calm; composed

Descendants

• French: coi

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Spanish

Etymology

From Dutch kooi (“bunk”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkoi/ [ˈkoi̯]

Noun

coy m (plural cois)

1. (nautical) a type of hammock made of sailcloth used as a makeshift bunk