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# boy

noun (boy, boys); interjection (Boy! Oh boy!)

«boy» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A boy is a male child or a young man. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m1)
2. «Boy!» or «Oh boy!» is said to show surprise or excitement, mostly in the USA. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m2)
3. (casual) «The boys» means a group of male friends: «out with the boys»; «boyo» (Wales, Ireland), «laddie» (Scotland) are friendly words for a boy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m3)
4. (casual) «Boy» or «good boy» is said to a dog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m4)
5. (rude) Calling a grown man «boy» can be an insult; «mummy's boy» teases a boy who is close to his mum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m5)
6. (formal) Exams and forms say «male pupil», «a male child», «juvenile» or «a minor». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#m6)

### In the lessons

people counted in a class or group, often next to girls; together they make the class; boys + girls = children; phrases: «a little boy», «boys and girls», «schoolboy», «the boys' team», «boyfriend»; in casual talk «the boys», «lads», «oh boy», «good boy» (to a dog); in rough talk «oi, boy, get over here», «mummy's boy»; in the exam voice «male pupils», «the number of male candidates», «the proportion of boys»

### Examples

- There are 14 boys and 16 girls in the class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x1)
- Each boy gets 3 pencils. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x2)
- How many more girls than boys are there? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x3)
- The boys picked 40 apples. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x4)
- The boy next door has a dog. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x5)
- Good morning, boys and girls! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x6)
- The boys' football team won the cup. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x7)
- Oh boy, 3 pizzas just for us! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x8)
- Out with the boys, 6 of us, back by 9. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x9)
- Good boy, Rex, sit! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x10)
- A class comprises 30 pupils, of whom 14 are male. State the number of female pupils. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x11)
- Stop teasing him and calling him a mummy's boy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x12)
- He was quite a practical boy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/#x13)

### Note

Plural: boys. Possessive: boy's (one boy), boys' (many boys). A thing counted. Boys + girls = children. Trap: «how many more girls than boys» is a difference, not a sum. «male pupils» in an exam means boys. «Oh boy» counts no boy. Teasing names like «mummy's boy» are unkind.

## In Jewish tradition

people counted in a class or group, often next to girls; together they make the class; boys + girls = children; phrases: «a little boy», «boys and girls», «schoolboy», «the boys' team», «boyfriend»; in casual talk «the boys», «lads», «oh boy», «good boy» (to a dog); in rough talk «oi, boy, get over here», «mummy's boy»; in the exam voice «male pupils», «the number of male candidates», «the proportion of boys»

### Examples

- And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold a boy that wept. (Torah EXO.2.6, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/#x1)
- And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. (Torah GEN.25.27, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/#x2)
- Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, and thy princes feast in the morning! (Writings ECC.10.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/#x3)
- And the broad places of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the broad places thereof. (Prophets ZEC.8.5, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/#x4)
- But if I say thus unto the boy: Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for the LORD hath sent thee away. (Prophets 1SA.20.22, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/#x5)

### Note

Plural: boys. Possessive: boy's (one boy), boys' (many boys). A thing counted. Boys + girls = children. Trap: «how many more girls than boys» is a difference, not a sum. «male pupils» in an exam means boys. «Oh boy» counts no boy. Teasing names like «mummy's boy» are unkind.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «boy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/boy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«boy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/boy.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «boy» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/boy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«boy» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/boy.html) on Mova free.