a youthful male person
"the baby was a boy"
"she made the boy brush his teeth every night"
"most soldiers are only boys in uniform"
A young male.
"The boy ran to catch the frisbee flying across the park."
In plain English: A boy is a male child who has not yet grown up to be an adult.
"The boy kicked the ball into the street."
Usage: Use "boy" to refer specifically to a male child or an adolescent male who has not yet reached adulthood. Avoid using it as a generic term for any man, regardless of age.
To use the word “boy” to refer to someone.
"The old man called his grandson over, insisting that he behave like a proper boy while playing outside."
In plain English: To boy someone means to act like a silly, immature child instead of being responsible.
"The farmer decided to boy the calves so they could stay warm during the winter."
Usage: The word "boy" is not used as a verb in standard English; it functions only as a noun referring to a male child or young man. If you hear someone say they are "boy-ing," it is likely a misuse of the word or an attempt to use it as slang for addressing a male, which is grammatically incorrect.
Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.
"Boy, I never thought we'd actually make it to the top of that mountain in time for sunset."
The word "boy" comes from Old English *bōia, which originally meant a younger brother or close male relative. Over time, the term shifted in Middle English to refer specifically to a servant or commoner before settling on its current meaning for a young male.