gay

Etymology 1
From, from , usually thought to be a borrowing of , from , merging with earlier "merry"; see, from ; both from ,. This is possibly derived from, from , but Kroonen rejects this derivation and treats the Germanic word as having no known etymology.

Cognate with 🇨🇬, Westphalian 🇨🇬,, 🇨🇬.

Anatoly Liberman, following Frank Chance and Harri Meier, believes was instead a native development from, with *[w] > [g] as in 🇨🇬.

The sense of homosexual (first recorded no later than 1937 by Cary Grant in the film Bringing Up Baby, and possibly earlier in 1922 in the poem "Miss Furr and Miss Skeene" by  ) was shortened from earlier gay cat ("homosexual boy") in underworld and prison slang, itself first attested about 1935, but used earlier for a young tramp or hobo attached to an older one.

Pejorative usage is probably due to hostility towards homosexuality.

The sense of ‘upright’, used in reference to a dog’s tail, probably derives from the ‘happy’ sense of the word.

Adjective



 * 1)  Possessing sexual and/or romantic attraction towards people one perceives to be the same sex or gender as oneself.
 * 2) * 1947, Rorschach Research Exchange and Journal of Projective Techniques, page 240:
 * "en"
 * 1) * 1947, Rorschach Research Exchange and Journal of Projective Techniques, page 240:
 * "en"

- He was not happy at the farm and went to a Western city where he associated with a homosexual crowd, being "gay," and wearing female clothes and makeup.


 * 1) * 2007, Kevin P. Murphy, Jason Ruiz, David Serlin, Queer Futures, Radical History Review (Duke University Press), page 58:
 * The two failed attempts to receive the necessary access to medicalized transition procedures by the renowned FTM activist Lou Sullivan—a gay man who refused to comply with the imperative that transsexual men must desire women—
 * 1)  Describing a homosexual man.
 * 2)  Tending to partner or mate with other individuals of the same sex.
 * 3)  Between two or more persons perceived to be of the same sex or gender as each other.
 * 4)  Not heterosexual, or not cisgender: homosexual, bisexual, asexual, transgender, etc.
 * 5)  Intended for gay people, especially gay men.
 * 6)  Homosexually in love with someone.
 * 7)  Infatuated with something, aligning with homosexual stereotypes.
 * 8) In accordance with stereotypes of homosexual people:
 * 9)  Being in accordance with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
 * 10)  Exhibiting appearance or behavior that accords with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
 * 11)  Effeminate or flamboyant in behavior.
 * : lame, uncool, stupid, burdensome, contemptible, generally bad.
 * 1) * 1996, Lisa's Date With Density, The Simpsons (cartoon television series). Upon discovering Nelson kissing Lisa:
 * Dolph: "Oh, man! You kissed a girl!"
 * Jimbo: "That is so gay!"
 * 1)  Happy, joyful, and lively.
 * 2) * c. 1692, William Walch, preface to Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant, in, The Fourth Part of Miſcellany Poems, Jacob Tonson (publisher, 1716), page 338:
 * "en"
 * 1)  Homosexually in love with someone.
 * 2)  Infatuated with something, aligning with homosexual stereotypes.
 * 3) In accordance with stereotypes of homosexual people:
 * 4)  Being in accordance with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
 * 5)  Exhibiting appearance or behavior that accords with stereotypes of gay people, especially gay men.
 * 6)  Effeminate or flamboyant in behavior.
 * : lame, uncool, stupid, burdensome, contemptible, generally bad.
 * 1) * 1996, Lisa's Date With Density, The Simpsons (cartoon television series). Upon discovering Nelson kissing Lisa:
 * Dolph: "Oh, man! You kissed a girl!"
 * Jimbo: "That is so gay!"
 * 1)  Happy, joyful, and lively.
 * 2) * c. 1692, William Walch, preface to Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant, in, The Fourth Part of Miſcellany Poems, Jacob Tonson (publisher, 1716), page 338:
 * "en"
 * : lame, uncool, stupid, burdensome, contemptible, generally bad.
 * 1) * 1996, Lisa's Date With Density, The Simpsons (cartoon television series). Upon discovering Nelson kissing Lisa:
 * Dolph: "Oh, man! You kissed a girl!"
 * Jimbo: "That is so gay!"
 * 1)  Happy, joyful, and lively.
 * 2) * c. 1692, William Walch, preface to Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant, in, The Fourth Part of Miſcellany Poems, Jacob Tonson (publisher, 1716), page 338:
 * "en"
 * 1) * c. 1692, William Walch, preface to Letters and Poems, Amorous and Gallant, in, The Fourth Part of Miſcellany Poems, Jacob Tonson (publisher, 1716), page 338:
 * "en"
 * "en"

- Never was there a more copious Fancy or greater reach of Wit, than what appears in Dr. Donne; nothing can be more gallant or gentile than the poems of Mr. Waller; nothing more gay or ſprightly than thoſe of Sir John Suckling; and nothing fuller of Variety and Learning than Mr. Cowley’s.


 * 1) * 1934, et al., (title):
 * "en"
 * "en"

- The Gay Divorcee.


 * 1)  Quick, fast.
 * 2)  Festive, bright, or colourful.
 * Pennsylvania Dutch include the plain folk and the gay folk.
 * 1) * 1881, J. P. McCaskey (editor), “Deck the Hall [sic]”, Franklin Square Song Collection, number 1, Harper & Brothers (New York), page 120:
 * "en"
 * 1)  Festive, bright, or colourful.
 * Pennsylvania Dutch include the plain folk and the gay folk.
 * 1) * 1881, J. P. McCaskey (editor), “Deck the Hall [sic]”, Franklin Square Song Collection, number 1, Harper & Brothers (New York), page 120:
 * "en"
 * 1) * 1881, J. P. McCaskey (editor), “Deck the Hall [sic]”, Franklin Square Song Collection, number 1, Harper & Brothers (New York), page 120:
 * "en"
 * "en"

- Don we now our gay apparel.


 * 1) * 1944, Ralph Blane, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Meet Me in St. Louis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
 * "en"

- Make the Yule-tide gay / From now on our troubles will be miles away


 * 1)  Sexually promiscuous (of any gender),  engaged in prostitution.
 * 2) * 1806 (edition of 1815), John Davis, The Post-Captain, page 150:
 * As our heroes passed along the Strand, they were accosted by a hundred gay ladies, who asked them if they were good-natured. "Devil take me!" exclaimed Echo, "if I know which way my ship heads; but there is not a girl in the Strand that I would touch with my gloves on."
 * 1)  Upright or curved over the back.
 * 2)  Considerable, great, large in number, size, or degree. In this sense, also in the variant gey.
 * 3) * 1876 (edition; original 1871), Richardson, Talk 1:
 * A gay deal different to what I is noo.
 * 1) * 1881, Dixon, Craven Dales:
 * There were a gay bit of lace on it.
 * 1)  Upright or curved over the back.
 * 2)  Considerable, great, large in number, size, or degree. In this sense, also in the variant gey.
 * 3) * 1876 (edition; original 1871), Richardson, Talk 1:
 * A gay deal different to what I is noo.
 * 1) * 1881, Dixon, Craven Dales:
 * There were a gay bit of lace on it.
 * 1) * 1876 (edition; original 1871), Richardson, Talk 1:
 * A gay deal different to what I is noo.
 * 1) * 1881, Dixon, Craven Dales:
 * There were a gay bit of lace on it.
 * 1) * 1881, Dixon, Craven Dales:
 * There were a gay bit of lace on it.

Usage notes

 * The predominant use of gay in recent decades has been in the sense homosexual, or in the pejorative sense. The earlier uses of festive, colorful and bright are still found, especially in literary contexts; however, this usage has fallen out of fashion and is now likely to be misunderstood by those who are unaware of it.
 * Gay is preferred to homosexual by many gay (homosexual) people as their own term for themselves. Some claim that homosexual is dated and evokes a time when homosexuality was considered a mental illness by the mental health community, while others feel that the word homosexual(ity) does not express the emotional aspects of sexual orientation.
 * In the broad political sense, gay usually refers to anything pertaining to same-sex relationships, whether male or female: gay rights and gay marriage. When used in coordination with other terms for sexual orientations, it usually specifically refers to men who are attracted only to men, and excludes lesbians, bisexuals and other orientations, as in phrases like lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB). Context is sometimes necessary to determine whether or not gay implies male in a given phrase.
 * Since at least the 1950s, gay has sometimes been used as a broad umbrella term for all queer and gender-nonconforming (transgender and genderqueer/non-binary) people, similar to LGBTQ.

Synonyms

 * See Thesaurus:homosexual

Derived terms

 * sexual sense


 * other senses

Noun

 * 1)  A homosexual, especially a male homosexual.
 * 2)  Something which is bright or colorful, such as a picture or a flower.
 * , W. R. Eaton of Norfolk, quoted in 1900, Joseph Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary:
 * There's a good child; look at the gays, and keep quiet.
 * 1)  An ornament, a knick-knack.
 * 2) * 1906, Cornish Notes & Queries: (first Series) (Cornish Telegraph, Peter Penn), page 132:
 * If however the stranger be suspected of “sailing under false colours," when they are all in familiar chat about nothing in particular, “Cousin Jacky” will take occasion to say to the new chum, “My dear; ded 'e ever see a duck clunk a gay?" no more deceived by him than a duck can be made to clunk (swallow) a gay (fragment of broken crockery).
 * 1)  Something which is bright or colorful, such as a picture or a flower.
 * , W. R. Eaton of Norfolk, quoted in 1900, Joseph Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary:
 * There's a good child; look at the gays, and keep quiet.
 * 1)  An ornament, a knick-knack.
 * 2) * 1906, Cornish Notes & Queries: (first Series) (Cornish Telegraph, Peter Penn), page 132:
 * If however the stranger be suspected of “sailing under false colours," when they are all in familiar chat about nothing in particular, “Cousin Jacky” will take occasion to say to the new chum, “My dear; ded 'e ever see a duck clunk a gay?" no more deceived by him than a duck can be made to clunk (swallow) a gay (fragment of broken crockery).
 * 1)  An ornament, a knick-knack.
 * 2) * 1906, Cornish Notes & Queries: (first Series) (Cornish Telegraph, Peter Penn), page 132:
 * If however the stranger be suspected of “sailing under false colours," when they are all in familiar chat about nothing in particular, “Cousin Jacky” will take occasion to say to the new chum, “My dear; ded 'e ever see a duck clunk a gay?" no more deceived by him than a duck can be made to clunk (swallow) a gay (fragment of broken crockery).
 * If however the stranger be suspected of “sailing under false colours," when they are all in familiar chat about nothing in particular, “Cousin Jacky” will take occasion to say to the new chum, “My dear; ded 'e ever see a duck clunk a gay?" no more deceived by him than a duck can be made to clunk (swallow) a gay (fragment of broken crockery).

Usage notes

 * Gay may be regarded as offensive when used as a noun to refer to particular individuals.
 * Gay is sometimes used broadly to refer to any man who is attracted to and/or sexually active with other men, or any woman attracted to or active with other women, even if not exclusively, e.g. if their orientation is in fact bisexual.

Synonyms

 * see Thesaurus:homosexual person and Thesaurus:male homosexual

Verb

 * 1)  To make happy or cheerful.
 * 2)  To cause (something, e.g. AIDS) to be associated with homosexual people.
 * 1)  To cause (something, e.g. AIDS) to be associated with homosexual people.
 * 1)  To cause (something, e.g. AIDS) to be associated with homosexual people.

Related terms

 * de-gay
 * re-gay

Adverb

 * 1)  Considerably, very.
 * 2) * 1892-3, Mrs. Humphry Ward, The History of David Grieve, volume I, page 19:
 * She'll mak naw moor mischeef neets—she's gay quiet now!
 * 1) * 1892-3, Mrs. Humphry Ward, The History of David Grieve, volume I, page 19:
 * She'll mak naw moor mischeef neets—she's gay quiet now!
 * 1) * 1892-3, Mrs. Humphry Ward, The History of David Grieve, volume I, page 19:
 * She'll mak naw moor mischeef neets—she's gay quiet now!

Etymology 2
From Pitman kay, which it is derived from graphically, and the sound it represents. The traditional name gee was considered inappropriate, as the Pitman letter never has the sound of that name.

Noun

 * 1) The letter —, which stands for the sound, in Pitman shorthand.

Related terms

 * gee (in Latin script)

Etymology
Borrowed from. .

Noun

 * 1) ; gay man

Etymology
.

Noun

 * 1)  male

Etymology
From.

Noun

 * 1) gay

Usage notes

 * Seldom inflected, as this term does not readily fit into Finnish inflection patterns. Instead, corresponding forms of synonymous expressions or compounds such as or  are used.

Etymology
, itself a borrowing from. .

Noun

 * 1)  homosexual person

Etymology
Snake tracks were carefully avoided as treading on one was thought to cause skin sores. The cart tracks of the early European explorer Mitchell were thought to be giant snake tracks.

Noun

 * 1) snake track

Etymology
.

Adjective

 * 1) gay

Etymology
From, from , from , usually thought to be a borrowing of , from , merging with earlier , from , both from ,. This is possibly derived from, from.

Noun

 * : homosexual: being between two or more men.

Adjective

 * 1)  gay

Noun

 * 1) gay

Synonyms

 * gay
 * gay

Etymology
.

Etymology
Borrowed from.

Adjective

 * 1) gay, male homosexual.

Noun

 * 1) gay, male homosexual

Etymology
Akin to 🇨🇬.

Noun

 * 1) day

Noun

 * 1) mouth
 * 2) language
 * 3) beginning
 * 1) beginning

Etymology 1
Borrowed from.

Adjective

 * 1) cheerful, happy

Etymology 2
Borrowed from, from , from the Roman name. Also see 🇨🇬 and.

Noun

 * 1) jay
 * 2) parrot

Etymology
Borrowed from.

Adjective

 * 1) joyous, merry
 * 2) * 1405 Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Canterbury Tales (source):
 * "enm"

- (Line 221) To bringe me gaye thinges fro the fayre.


 * "enm"

- (Line 236) Why is my neighebores wyf so gay?


 * "enm"

- (Line 298) That I was born, and make me fresh and gay,


 * "enm"

- (Line 508) But in oure bed he was so fressh and gay


 * "enm"

- (Line 545) For ever yet I lovede to be gay,

Etymology
Variant of, borrowed from , possibly of origin, or from.

Adjective

 * 1) cheerful; happy;

Etymology
..

Adjective

 * 1) homosexual involving or relating to same-sex relationships, especially between males
 * 2)  overly sentimental
 * 3)  effeminate or flamboyant
 * 1)  overly sentimental
 * 2)  effeminate or flamboyant

Noun

 * 1) ; homosexual person attracted to others of the same sex, especially a male homosexual
 * 2)  a person who lame, stupid or shows any other unpleasant characteristics
 * 1)  a person who lame, stupid or shows any other unpleasant characteristics

Etymology
.

Adverb

 * 1) fairly, considerably

Noun

 * 1) water

Etymology
.

Adjective

 * , homosexual

Noun

 * 1) a homosexual person,  person

Usage notes

 * The Real Academia Española recommends the plural form for both the adjective and the noun, but  is much more common.

Adjective

 * , homosexual

Adjective

 * 1) difficult; hard