Boy

• POS: Interjection, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Boy, n. [Cf. D. boef, Fries. boi, boy; akin to G. bube, Icel. bofi rouge.].

•  A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad; hence, a son.  [1913 Webster]

  " 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]

  "My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.

  "He reverted again and again to the labor difficulty, and spoke of importing boys from Capetown."  [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.

Boy, v. t. 

 To act as a boy; -- in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage.  [1913 Webster]
"I shall see
Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Boy, n. & int.
--n.
1 a male child or youth.
2 a young man, esp. regarded as not yet mature.
3 a male servant, attendant, etc.
4 (the boys) colloq. a group of men mixing socially.
--int. expressing pleasure, surprise, etc.

Idiom

boy scout = SCOUT(1) 4. boys in blue Brit. policemen.

Derivative

boyhood n. boyish adj. boyishly adv. boyishness n.

Etymology

ME = servant, perh. ult. f. L boia fetter

THESAURUS

Boy

American Indian, Amerind, Australian aborigine, Bushman, Caucasian, Indian, Malayan, Mister Charley, Mongolian, Negrillo, Negrito, Negro, Oriental, Red Indian, WASP, black, black man, blackfellow, bloke, brown man, bub, bubba, buck, bud, buddy, burrhead, chauffeur, coachman, colored person, colt, coon, cub, darky, driver, equerry, fellow, fledgling, gamin, gardener, gee, gent, gentleman, gillie, goody, gook, guy, he, hobbledehoy, honky, houseboy, houseman, jigaboo, jungle bunny, lad, laddie, lord-in-waiting, man, manchild, manservant, master, muchacho, nigger, niggra, ofay, paleface, pup, puppy, pygmy, ragamuffin, red man, redskin, schoolboy, slant-eye, small fry, son, sonny, sonny boy, spade, street arab, stripling, tad, the Man, urchin, valet, valet de chambre, whelp, whippersnapper, white, white man, whitey, yellow man, young man, youth

ROGET THESAURUS

Boy

Servant

N servant, subject, liegeman, servant, retainer, follower, henchman, servitor, domestic, menial, help, lady help, employe, attache, official, retinue, suite, cortege, staff, court, attendant, squire, usher, page, donzel, footboy, train bearer, cup bearer, waiter, lapster, butler, livery servant, lackey, footman, flunky, flunkey, valet, valet de chambre, equerry, groom, jockey, hostler, ostler, tiger, orderly, messenger, cad, gillie, herdsman, swineherd, barkeeper, bartender, bell boy, boots, boy, counterjumper, khansamah, khansaman, khitmutgar, yardman, bailiff, castellan, seneschal, chamberlain, major-domo, groom of the chambers, secretary, under secretary, assistant secretary, clerk, subsidiary, agent, subaltern, underling, understrapper, man, maid, maidservant, handmaid, confidente, lady's maid, abigail, soubrette, amah, biddy, nurse, bonne, ayah, nursemaid, nursery maid, house maid, parlor maid, waiting maid, chamber maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid, femme de chambre, femme fille, camarista, chef de cuisine, cordon bleu, cook, scullion, Cinderella, potwalloper, maid of all work, servant of all work, laundress, bedmaker, journeyman, charwoman, bearer, chokra, gyp (Cambridge), hamal, scout (Oxford), serf, vassal, slave, negro, helot, bondsman, bondswoman, bondslave, ame damnee, odalisque, ryot, adscriptus gleboe, villian, villein, beadsman, bedesman, sizar, pensioner, pensionary, client, dependant, dependent, hanger on, satellite, parasite, led captain, protege, ward, hireling, mercenary, puppet, tool, creature, badge of slavery, bonds, in the train of, in one's pay, in one's employ, at one's call, in bonds.

Infant

N infant, babe, baby, babe in arms, nurseling, suckling, yearling, weanling, papoose, bambino, kid, vagitus, child, bairn, little one, brat, chit, pickaninny, urchin, bantling, bratling, elf, youth, boy, lad, stripling, youngster, youngun, younker, callant, whipster, whippersnapper, whiffet, schoolboy, hobbledehoy, hopeful, cadet, minor, master, scion, sap, seedling, tendril, olive branch, nestling, chicken, larva, chrysalis, tadpole, whelp, cub, pullet, fry, callow, codlin, codling, foetus, calf, colt, pup, foal, kitten, lamb, lambkin, aurelia, caterpillar, cocoon, nymph, nympha, orphan, pupa, staddle, girl, lass, lassie, wench, miss, damsel, demoiselle, maid, maiden, virgin, hoyden, infantine, infantile, puerile, boyish, girlish, childish, babyish, kittenish, baby, newborn, unfledged, new-fledged, callow, in the cradle, in swaddling clothes, in long clothes, in arms, in leading strings, at the breast, in one's teens.

Man

N man, male, he, him, manhood, gentleman, sir, master, sahib, yeoman, wight, swain, fellow, blade, beau, elf, chap, gaffer, good man, husband, Mr, mister, boy, cock, drake, gander, dog, boar, stag, hart, buck, horse, entire horse, stallion, gibcat, tomcat, he goat, Billy goat, ram, tup, bull, bullock, capon, ox, gelding, steer, stot, androgen, homosexual, gay, queen, male, he-, masculine, manly, virile, unwomanly, unfeminine, Pron, he, him, his, hominem pagina nostra sapit, homo homini aut deus aut lupus, homo vitae commodatus non donatus est.