Artemisia abrotonum
(gcide) | Boy \Boy\, n. [Cf. D. boef, Fries. boi, boy; akin to G. bube,
Icel. bofi rouge.]
1. A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad;
hence, a son.
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My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee. --Sir
W. Scott.
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Note: 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.
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2. 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. [derog.]
He reverted again and again to the labor difficulty,
and spoke of importing boys from Capetown. --Frances
Macnab.
[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.
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