# toy

Pronunciation: say "TOY" /tɔɪ/

## Noun

1. An object designed for play, especially one intended for use by a child.
   - Simple: An object made for children to play with, like a doll or a ball.
   - _The toddler refused to share her favorite toy with the other kids._
   - _Each child received a small toy at the birthday party._
4. Short form of sex toy: a device designed for sexual stimulation, used alone or with a partner. — Ellipsis of sex toy.
   - Simple: Short form of sex toy: an object people use for sexual pleasure.
   - _The couple shopped together for a toy to spice up their relationship._
   - _Reviews praised the toy for its quiet, discreet design._
5. A thing of little importance or value.
   - Simple: A small thing that is not important or worth much.
   - _The diamond ring was a toy to her, a bauble forgotten by next week._
   - _To a billionaire, a private jet is just another toy._
7. Short form of toy dog: a dog from one of the smallest breeds, such as a Chihuahua or Pomeranian. — Ellipsis of toy dog.
   - Simple: Short form of toy dog: a dog from a very small breed.
   - _Breeders showed several toys at the kennel club competition._
   - _At the dog show, a tiny Pomeranian was named best toy, ahead of every other small breed._

## Verb

2. To handle or play with something idly, without serious attention.
   - Simple: To play with something in a lazy, half-interested way.
   - _He toyed with his coffee cup, only half listening to the conversation._
   - _When he's nervous, he tends to toy with the loose button on his jacket._
3. To consider an idea or plan casually and tentatively, without committing to it.
   - Simple: To think about an idea or plan for a while without really deciding to do it.
   - _She toyed with the idea of moving abroad for several months._
   - _Many people toy with the idea of writing a novel but never begin._

## Adjective

6. Impractical or unsuitable for real-world use because it is unrealistically small or simple.
   - Simple: Too small or too simple to be useful for real work.
   - _Engineers dismissed the prototype as a toy system unfit for industrial loads._
   - _The so-called encryption was a toy scheme any student could crack._

## Noun

8. A watch, especially a pocket watch. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A watch that a person wears or carries to tell the time.
9. A dated, playful slang term for the penis. *(dated)*
   - Simple: An old playful word for the penis.
10. A dated slang term for the vagina. *(dated)*
   - Simple: An old slang word for a woman's vagina.
11. A vague fancy or whim: a passing and often ridiculous notion. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A silly or sudden idea that does not last long.
12. Amorous play between lovers, including flirtatious fondling and dalliance. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Playful kissing and touching between people in love.
13. An old story or silly tale, told for amusement rather than as truth. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A silly old story told for fun, not because it is true.
14. A linen or woolen headdress worn by elderly lower-class women, its fabric hanging down over the shoulders. *(archaic, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A linen or wool head covering that hangs over the shoulders, once worn by old women.
15. A tiny jar, roughly an inch in diameter, for keeping prepared opium. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A very small jar, only about an inch wide, that opium was kept in, ready to smoke.
16. A pea-sized ball of prepared opium. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A ball of opium about as big as a pea.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To sexually stimulate someone, or oneself, with a sex toy.
- (noun) An inexperienced or unskilled graffiti artist, whose work is regarded as amateurish.
- (noun) A firearm, especially a handgun.
- (noun) A short musical composition, especially for the virginal, with a simple form and light character.

## Origin

Middle English toye meant "amorous play, a piece of fun or entertainment." It probably came from Middle Dutch toy, tuyg ("tools, apparatus, ornament"), the word seen in Dutch speel-tuig ("play-thing"). Further back it leads through Proto-Germanic to a root meaning "to pull or lead." German Zeug and Danish tøj, both meaning "stuff," are cognates.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/toy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).