-ey

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-ey

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var. of -y ¹ , esp. after y: clayey.

-ey

var. of -y ² , esp. after y.

-y

a native English suffix of adjectives meaning “characterized by or inclined to” the substance or action of the word or stem to which the suffix is attached: juicy; grouchy; rumbly; dreamy.

Also, -ey ¹ .

Origin:
OE -ig; c. G -ig; cf. perh. L -icus, Gk -ikos

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To -ey

-ey
suff. Variant of -y¹.

-y¹ or -ey
suff.

Characterized by; consisting of: clayey.
1. Like: summery.
2. To some degree; somewhat; rather: chilly.
Tending toward; inclined toward: sleepy.

[Middle English, from Old English -ig.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

-y (3)

suffix in pet proper names (e.g. Johnny, Kitty), first recorded in Scottish, c.1400; became frequent in Eng. 15c.-16c. Extension to surnames seems to date from c.1940. Use with common nouns seems to have begun in Scot. with laddie (1546) and become popular in Eng. due to Burns' poems, but the same formation appears to be represented much earlier in baby and puppy.

Search another word or see -ey on Thesaurus | Reference

»quatrain
»essay

»punctilious
»buccal

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