shy

Definitions


[ʃʌɪ], (Adjective)

Definitions:
- nervous or timid in the company of other people
(e.g: I was pretty shy at school)

- less than; short of
(e.g: the shares are 29p shy of their flotation price)

- (of a plant) not bearing flowers or fruit well or prolifically


Phrases:

Origin:
Old English scēoh ‘(of a horse) easily frightened’, of Germanic origin; related to German scheuen ‘shun’, scheuchen ‘scare’; compare with eschew. The verb dates from the mid 17th century


[ʃʌɪ], (Verb)

Definitions:
- (especially of a horse) start suddenly aside in fright at an object, noise, or movement
(e.g: their horses shied at the unfamiliar sight)


Phrases:

Origin:
Old English scēoh ‘(of a horse) easily frightened’, of Germanic origin; related to German scheuen ‘shun’, scheuchen ‘scare’; compare with eschew. The verb dates from the mid 17th century


[ʃʌɪ], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a sudden startled movement, especially of a frightened horse


Phrases:

Origin:
Old English scēoh ‘(of a horse) easily frightened’, of Germanic origin; related to German scheuen ‘shun’, scheuchen ‘scare’; compare with eschew. The verb dates from the mid 17th century


[ʃʌɪ], (Verb)

Definitions:
- fling or throw (something) at a target
(e.g: he tore the spectacles off and shied them at her)


Phrases:
- have a shy at

Origin:
late 18th century: of unknown origin


[ʃʌɪ], (Noun)

Definitions:
- an act of flinging or throwing something at a target


Phrases:
- have a shy at

Origin:
late 18th century: of unknown origin




definition by Oxford Dictionaries