boy
♦♦♦ boy /b'ɔɪ/ (boys)
1 [N-COUNT]
A boy is a child who will grow up to be a man.
I knew him when he was a little boy...
He was still just a boy.
2 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a young man as a boy, especially when talking about relationships between boys and girls.
...the age when girls get interested in boys.
3 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
Someone's boy is their son. (INFORMAL)
Eric was my cousin Edward's boy...
I have two boys.
4 [N-COUNT] with supp
You can refer to a man as a boy, especially when you are talking about him in an affectionate way. (INFORMAL)
...the local boy who made President...
`Come on boys', he shouted to the sailors.
= lad
5
see also backroom boy, blue-eyed boy, head boy, head boy, messenger boy,
office boy, old boy, Teddy boy, Teddy boy
6 [EXCLAM]
Some people say `boy' or `oh boy' in order to express feelings of excitement or admiration. (mainly AM INFORMAL)
Oh Boy! Just think what I could tell him.al|tar boy (altar boys)
[N-COUNT]
In the Roman Catholic church, an altar boy is a boy who helps the priest during Mass.back|room boy (backroom boys)
also backroom-boy
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to a man as a backroom boy when he does important work in an organization and has good ideas but is not seen or known about by the public. (BRIT)ball boy (ball boys)
[N-COUNT]
In a tennis match, the ball boys pick up any balls that go into the net or off the court and throw them back to the players. In a baseball game, the ball boys are in charge of collecting the balls that are hit out of the field.bar|row boy (barrow boys)
[N-COUNT]
A barrow boy is a man or boy who sells fruit or other goods from a barrow in the street. (BRIT)blue-eyed boy (blue-eyed boys)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
Someone's blue-eyed boy is a young man who they like better than anyone else and who therefore receives better treatment than other people. (BRIT; in AM, use fair-haired boy)
He was the media's blue-eyed boy.
= darling, favouriteboy band (boy bands)
[N-COUNT]
A boy band is a band consisting of young men who sing pop music and dance. Boy bands are especially popular with teenage girls.boy rac|er (boy racers)
[N-COUNT]
British journalists sometimes refer to young men who drive very fast, especially in expensive and powerful cars, as boy racers.
Bad driving is not just the preserve of boy racers...bus boy (bus boys)
[N-COUNT]
A bus boy is someone whose job is to set or clear tables in a restaurant. (AM)head boy (head boys)
[N-COUNT]
The head boy of a school is the boy who is the leader of the prefects and who often represents the school on public occasions. (BRIT)mes|sen|ger boy (messenger boys)
[N-COUNT]
A messenger boy is a boy who is employed to take messages to people.of|fice boy (office boys)
[N-COUNT]
An office boy is a young man, especially one who has just left school, who is employed in an office to do simple tasks. (OLD-FASHIONED)old boy (old boys)
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to a man who used to be a pupil at a particular school or university as an old boy. (BRIT)
...Eton College, with all its traditions and long list of famous old boys.rent boy (rent boys)
[N-COUNT]
A rent boy is a boy or young man who has sex with men for money. (BRIT INFORMAL)sta|ble boy (stable boys)
also stableboy
[N-COUNT]
A stable boy is a young man who works in a stable looking after the horses.Teddy boy (Teddy boys)
[N-COUNT]
A Teddy boy is a man who dresses in a style that became popular in the 1950's. Teddy boys were associated with early rock and roll music, and often regarded as bad or violent. (BRIT)whip|ping boy (whipping boys)
[N-COUNT]
If someone or something is a whipping boy for a particular situation, they get all the blame for it.
He has become a convenient whipping boy for the failures of the old regime.
= scapegoatwide boy (wide boys)
[N-COUNT]
A wide boy is a man, especially a young man, who has a lot of money but who earns it in a dishonest or illegal way. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
1 [N-COUNT]
A boy is a child who will grow up to be a man.
I knew him when he was a little boy...
He was still just a boy.
2 [N-COUNT]
You can refer to a young man as a boy, especially when talking about relationships between boys and girls.
...the age when girls get interested in boys.
3 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
Someone's boy is their son. (INFORMAL)
Eric was my cousin Edward's boy...
I have two boys.
4 [N-COUNT] with supp
You can refer to a man as a boy, especially when you are talking about him in an affectionate way. (INFORMAL)
...the local boy who made President...
`Come on boys', he shouted to the sailors.
= lad
5
see also backroom boy, blue-eyed boy, head boy, head boy, messenger boy,
office boy, old boy, Teddy boy, Teddy boy
6 [EXCLAM]
Some people say `boy' or `oh boy' in order to express feelings of excitement or admiration. (mainly AM INFORMAL)
Oh Boy! Just think what I could tell him.al|tar boy (altar boys)
[N-COUNT]
In the Roman Catholic church, an altar boy is a boy who helps the priest during Mass.back|room boy (backroom boys)
also backroom-boy
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to a man as a backroom boy when he does important work in an organization and has good ideas but is not seen or known about by the public. (BRIT)ball boy (ball boys)
[N-COUNT]
In a tennis match, the ball boys pick up any balls that go into the net or off the court and throw them back to the players. In a baseball game, the ball boys are in charge of collecting the balls that are hit out of the field.bar|row boy (barrow boys)
[N-COUNT]
A barrow boy is a man or boy who sells fruit or other goods from a barrow in the street. (BRIT)blue-eyed boy (blue-eyed boys)
[N-COUNT] oft poss N
Someone's blue-eyed boy is a young man who they like better than anyone else and who therefore receives better treatment than other people. (BRIT; in AM, use fair-haired boy)
He was the media's blue-eyed boy.
= darling, favouriteboy band (boy bands)
[N-COUNT]
A boy band is a band consisting of young men who sing pop music and dance. Boy bands are especially popular with teenage girls.boy rac|er (boy racers)
[N-COUNT]
British journalists sometimes refer to young men who drive very fast, especially in expensive and powerful cars, as boy racers.
Bad driving is not just the preserve of boy racers...bus boy (bus boys)
[N-COUNT]
A bus boy is someone whose job is to set or clear tables in a restaurant. (AM)head boy (head boys)
[N-COUNT]
The head boy of a school is the boy who is the leader of the prefects and who often represents the school on public occasions. (BRIT)mes|sen|ger boy (messenger boys)
[N-COUNT]
A messenger boy is a boy who is employed to take messages to people.of|fice boy (office boys)
[N-COUNT]
An office boy is a young man, especially one who has just left school, who is employed in an office to do simple tasks. (OLD-FASHIONED)old boy (old boys)
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to a man who used to be a pupil at a particular school or university as an old boy. (BRIT)
...Eton College, with all its traditions and long list of famous old boys.rent boy (rent boys)
[N-COUNT]
A rent boy is a boy or young man who has sex with men for money. (BRIT INFORMAL)sta|ble boy (stable boys)
also stableboy
[N-COUNT]
A stable boy is a young man who works in a stable looking after the horses.Teddy boy (Teddy boys)
[N-COUNT]
A Teddy boy is a man who dresses in a style that became popular in the 1950's. Teddy boys were associated with early rock and roll music, and often regarded as bad or violent. (BRIT)whip|ping boy (whipping boys)
[N-COUNT]
If someone or something is a whipping boy for a particular situation, they get all the blame for it.
He has become a convenient whipping boy for the failures of the old regime.
= scapegoatwide boy (wide boys)
[N-COUNT]
A wide boy is a man, especially a young man, who has a lot of money but who earns it in a dishonest or illegal way. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)