someone who is sexually attracted to persons of the same sex
"After years of hiding his true feelings, Mark finally came out as gay to his supportive family."
A homosexual, especially a male homosexual.
"In my notes on Pitman shorthand, I marked every 'g' sound with the symbol gay."
The letter —, which stands for the sound /ɡ/, in Pitman shorthand.
In plain English: In old-fashioned writing systems, "gay" referred to the letter G and its sound.
"The instructor showed us how to write the gay in a single, fluid stroke."
To make happy or cheerful.
"The bright sunlight and warm breeze seemed to gay up everyone in the park."
In plain English: Gay (verb: To make happy or cheerful.) Plain English Definition: To be gay means to experience romantic attraction towards people of the same gender.
"The bright sunshine and birdsong gayed her spirits."
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
"when hearts were young and gay"
"a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company"
"the jolly crowd at the reunion"
"jolly old Saint Nick"
"a jovial old gentleman"
"have a merry Christmas"
"peals of merry laughter"
"a mirthful laugh"
given to social pleasures often including dissipation
"led a gay Bohemian life"
"a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies"
Happy, joyful, and lively.
"The children played gay games all afternoon under the bright sun."
In plain English: Gay means feeling or expressing happiness and joy.
Considerably, very.
"The storm came gay and fierce, battering the windows of our small cottage."
In plain English: Feeling romantic attraction towards people of the same gender. (Adv: Considerably, very.) Very or greatly.
"The rain was gay after the storm cleared."
An English surname, from nicknames, originally a nickname for a cheerful or lively person.
"The Gay family has lived in the village for three generations, tracing their name back to an ancestor known for his spirited nature."
The word gay entered English from Middle English and Old French to mean "joyful" or "lively." Its ultimate origin traces back through Gothic and Frankish languages to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "sudden."