Y

character

1. 1

   The twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet, called wye and written in the Latin script.

2. 2

   Used for the Greek letter Υ (Y, “upsilon”).

noun

1. 1

   A figure or mark in the shape of the letter Y.

2. 2

   A Y-shaped object, such as a railroad fork or a support for a telescope; a wye, a bifurcation.

3. 3

   A moth of the genus Plusia, having markings resembling the letter Y.

interjection

1. 1

   Variant of yesAbbreviation of yes.

noun

1. 1

   Variant of yearAbbreviation of year (In some contexts as YY or YYYY to indicate only the last 2-digits or all 4-digits.)

proper noun

1. 1

   Variant of YMCAClipping of YMCA or YWCA.

   He had sat next to Cindy returning from the Y and smelled the chlorine on her. A sodden Band-Aid had clung by a few lingering bits of stickum to her knee.

noun

1. 1

   informalA particular facility run by the YMCA/YWCA.

   Of course, the audience up here at the Bronx “Y” will probably be a little parochial, but if I make good in the lecture, I might one day end up speaking down at the Lex. Ave. “Y” where great thinkers like Norman Mailer and Seymour Krim are always airing their views.

   When a 50ish woman at my Y learned that I was about to turn 80, she exclaimed, “80 is the new 60, and you set a great example for the rest of us!”

proper noun

1. 1

   Variant of IJobsoleteObsolete form of IJ: a lake (formerly a bay) adjoining the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

   Amsterdam, Hol. fortif. on the gulf Y and the Amstel river, 27,000 ho. in the town, nearly as many in the suburbs; 210,000 inh. 1000 rp. 50,000 lm. 6000 sailors; well built, many canals, ground very damp and marshy, very clean streets, […]

Forms

plural

Ys, Y's