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coy

adj, verb, noun — 10 senses

coy

adj

/kɔɪ/

Etymology From Middle English coy, from Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin qu(i)ētus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quit, quiet, quite, and quietus.

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.

  • The ill-bred miss, the bird-brained Jill, / May simper and be coy at will; / A lady, sir, as you will find, / Keeps counsel, or she speaks her mind, / Means what she says and scorns to fence / And palter with feigned innocence.1981, A. D. Hope, “His Coy Mistress to Mr. Marvell”, in A Book of Answers:
5

Soft, gentle, hesitating.

  • Enforced hate, / Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee.1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
Derived terms
accoy, coily, coyish, coyly, coyness, overcoy, uncoy

coy

verb

Etymology From Middle English coy, from Old French coi, earlier quei (“quiet, still”), from Latin qu(i)ētus (“resting, at rest”). Doublet of quit, quiet, quite, and quietus.

1

Obsolete To caress, pet; to coax, entice.

  • Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, / While I thy amiable cheeks do coy.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
2

Obsolete To calm or soothe.

3

Obsolete To allure; to decoy.

  • For now there are ſprung up a wiſer generation in this kind, who have the Art to coy the fonder ſort into their nets1635, Edward Rainbowe, Labour Forbidden, and Commanded. A Sermon Preached at S^(t.) Pauls^([sic]) Church, September 28. 1634., London: Nicholas Vavasour, page 29:

coy

noun

Etymology Compare decoy.

1

A trap from which waterfowl may be hunted.

coy

noun

Etymology Abbreviation of company.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.