hey

[hey]
interjection
1.
(used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.)
2.
Informal. hello: used as a greeting.

Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English hei

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
hay or hey2 (heɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a circular figure in country dancing
2.  a former country dance in which the dancers wove in and out of a circle
 
[C16: of uncertain origin]
 
hey or hey2
 
n
 
[C16: of uncertain origin]

00:10
Hey is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
hey (heɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
interj
1.  an expression indicating surprise, dismay, discovery, etc, or calling for another's attention
2.  (South African) an exclamation used for emphasis at the end of a statement, or alone to seek repetition or confirmation of another person's statement
3.  hey presto an exclamation used by conjurors to herald the climax of a trick
 
[C13: compare Old French hay, German hei, Swedish hej]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hey
call to attract attention, early 13c., possibly a natural expression (cf. Roman eho, Gk. eia, Ger. hei).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Hey, laxatives worked for the guys on my high school's wrestling team.
Hey solar, you paint a real pretty picture at the end of your last comment.
Hey, if it's not there, throw it away and play another day.
Hey, blond hair and blue eyes are recessive as are red hair and green eyes.
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