Words whose 4th letter is Y

Alcyonacea (n. pl.) A group of soft-bodied Alcyonaria, of which Alcyonium is the type. See Illust. under Alcyonaria.

Ally (v. t.) To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy; -- often followed by to or with.

Ally (v.) One united to another by treaty or league; -- usually applied to sovereigns or states; a confederate.

Anhydride (n.) An oxide of a nonmetallic body or an organic radical, capable of forming an acid by uniting with the elements of water; -- so called because it may be formed from an acid by the abstraction of water.

Ashy (a.) Ash-colored; whitish gray; deadly pale.

Babylonian (n.) An astrologer; -- so called because the Chaldeans were remarkable for the study of astrology.

Babylonish (n.) Confused; Babel-like.

Basylous (a.) Pertaining to, or having the nature of, a basyle; electro-positive; basic; -- opposed to chlorous.

Beryl (n.) A mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. It occurs in hexagonal prisms, commonly of a green or bluish green color, but also yellow, pink, and white. It is a silicate of aluminium and glucinum (beryllium). The aquamarine is a transparent, sea-green variety used as a gem. The emerald is another variety highly prized in jewelry, and distinguished by its deep color, which is probably due to the presence of a little oxide of chromium.

Berylloid (n.) A solid consisting of a double twelve-sided pyramid; -- so called because the planes of this form occur on crystals of beryl.

Body (n.) A person; a human being; -- frequently in composition; as, anybody, nobody.

Buoy (v. t.) To keep from sinking in a fluid, as in water or air; to keep afloat; -- with up.

Buoyancy (n.) Cheerfulness; vivacity; liveBuoyant (v. t. & i.) Light-hearted; vivacious; cheerful; as, a buoyant disposition; buoyant spirits.

Busy (a.) Crowded with business or activities; -- said of places and times; as, a busy street.

Calycozoa (n. pl.) A group of acalephs of which Lucernaria is the type. The body is cup-shaped with eight marginal lobes bearing clavate tentacles. An aboral sucker serves for attachment. The interior is divided into four large compartments. See Lucernarida.

Capybara (n.) A large South American rodent (Hydrochaerus capybara) Living on the margins of lakes and rivers. It is the largest extant rodent, being about three feet long, and half that in height. It somewhat resembles the Guinea pig, to which it is related; -- called also cabiai and water hog.

Caryopsis (n.) A one-celled, dry, indehiscent fruit, with a thin membranous pericarp, adhering closely to the seed, so that fruit and seed are incorporated in one body, forming a single grain, as of wheat, barley, etc.

ChrysaniChrysaurin (n.) An orange-colored dyestuff, of artificial production.

Chrysolite (n.) A mineral, composed of silica, magnesia, and iron, of a yellow to green color. It is common in certain volcanic rocks; -- called also olivine and peridot. Sometimes used as a gem. The name was also early used for yellow varieties of tourmaChrysoprase (n.) An apple-green variety of chalcedony, colored by nickel. It has a dull flinty luster, and is sometimes used in jewelry.

Claymore (n.) A large two-handed sword used formerly by the Scottish Highlanders.

Claytonia (n.) An American genus of perennial herbs with delicate blossoms; -- sometimes called spring beauty.

Copy (n.) To make a copy or copies of; to write; print, engrave, or paint after an original; to duplicate; to reproduce; to transcribe; as, to copy a manuscript, inscription, design, painting, etc.; -- often with out, sometimes with off.

Corymb (n.) A flat-topped or convex cluster of flowers, each on its own footstalk, and arising from different points of a common axis, the outermost blossoms expanding first, as in the hawthorn.

Coryphodon (n.) A genus of extinct mammals from the eocene tertiary of Europe and America. Its species varied in size between the tapir and rhinoceros, and were allied to those animals, but had short, plantigrade, five-toed feet, like the elephant.

Croydon (n.) A kind of carriage like a gig, orig. of wicker-work.

Deny (v. t.) To declare not to be true; to gainsay; to contradict; -- opposed to affirm, allow, or admit.

Desynonymize (v. t.) To deprive of synonymous character; to discriminate in use; -- applied to words which have been employed as synonyms.

Dewy (a.) Resembling a dew-covered surface; appearing as if covered with dew.

Dicyanide (n.) A compound of a binary type containing two cyanogen groups or radicals; -- called also bicyanide.

Didymium (n.) A rare metallic substance usually associated with the metal cerium; -- hence its name. It was formerly supposed to be an element, but has since been found to consist of two simpler elementary substances, neodymium and praseodymium. See Neodymium, and Praseodymium.

Dipyre (n.) A mineral of the scapolite group; -- so called from the double effect of fire upon it, in fusing it, and rendering it phosphorescent.

Dory (n.) The American wall-eyed perch; -- called also dore. See Pike perch.

Dory (n.) A small, strong, flat-bottomed rowboat, with sharp prow and flaring sides.

Doryphora (n.) A genus of plant-eating beetles, including the potato beetle. See Potato beetle.

Doty (a.) Half-rotten; as, doty timber.

Easy (v. t.) Not straitened as to money matters; as, the market is easy; -- opposed to tight.

Ectype (n.) A work sculptured in relief, as a cameo, or in bas-relief (in this sense used loosely).

Elayl (n.) Olefiant gas or ethylene; -- so called by Berzelius from its forming an oil combining with chlorine. [Written also elayle.] See Ethylene.

Endysis (n.) The act of developing a new coat of hair, a new set of feathers, scales, etc.; -- opposed to ecdysis.

Enhydrous (a.) Having water within; containing fluid drops; -- said of certain crystals.

Envy (n.) Chagrin, mortification, discontent, or uneasiness at the sight of another's excellence or good fortune, accompanied with some degree of hatred and a desire to possess equal advantages; malicious grudging; -- usually followed by of; as, they did this in envy of Caesar.

Envy (v. i.) To be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; -- used especially with at.

Ethylene (n.) A colorless, gaseous hydrocarbon, C2H4, forming an important ingredient of illuminating gas, and also obtained by the action of concentrated sulphuric acid in alcohol. It is an unsaturated compound and combines directly with chlorine and bromine to form oily liquids (Dutch liquid), -- hence called olefiant gas. Called also ethene, elayl, and formerly, bicarbureted hydrogen.

Eulytite (n.) A mineral, consisting chiefly of the silicate of bismuth, found at Freiberg; -- called also culytine.

Euryale (n.) A genus of ophiurans with much-branched arms.

Eutychian (n.) A follower of Eutyches [5th century], who held that the divine and the human in the person of Christ were blended together as to constitute but one nature; a monophysite; -- opposed to Nestorian.

Fogy (n.) A dull old fellow; a person behind the times, over-conservative, or slow; -- usually preceded by old.

Foxy (a.) Having the color of a fox; of a yellowish or reddish brown color; -- applied sometimes to paintings when they have too much of this color.

Foxy (a.) Sour; unpleasant in taste; -- said of wine, beer, etc., not properly fermented; -- also of grapes which have the coarse flavor of the fox grape.

Freya (n.) The daughter of Njord, and goddess of love and beauty; the Scandinavian Venus; -- in Teutonic myths confounded with Frigga, but in Scandinavian, distinct.

Fury (n.) Violent anger; extreme wrath; rage; -- sometimes applied to inanimate things, as the wind or storms; impetuosity; violence.

Gamy (a.) Having the flavor of game, esp. of game kept uncooked till near the condition of tainting; high-flavored.

Gray (superl.) Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.

Grayling (a.) A European fish (Thymallus vulgaris), allied to the trout, but having a very broad dorsal fin; -- called also umber. It inhabits cold mountain streams, and is valued as a game fish.

July (n.) The seventh month of the year, containing thirty-one days.

Jury (a.) For temporary use; -- applied to a temporary contrivance.

Karyokinesis (n.) The indirect division of cells in which, prior to division of the cell protoplasm, complicated changes take place in the nucleus, attended with movement of the nuclear fibrils; -- opposed to karyostenosis. The nucleus becomes enlarged and convoluted, and finally the threads are separated into two groups which ultimately become disconnected and constitute the daughter nuclei. Called also mitosis. See Cell development, under Cell.

Karyomiton (n.) The reticular network of fine fibers, of which the nucleus of a cell is in part composed; -- in opposition to kytomiton, or the network in the body of the cell.

Karyoplasma (n.) The protoplasmic substance of the nucleus of a cell: nucleoplasm; -- in opposition to kytoplasma, the protoplasm of the cell.

Katydid (n.) A large, green, arboreal, orthopterous insect (Cyrtophyllus concavus) of the family Locustidae, common in the United States. The males have stridulating organs at the bases of the front wings. During the summer and autumn, in the evening, the males make a peculiar, loud, shrill sound, resembling the combination Katy-did, whence the name.

Lady (n.) A woman having proprietary rights or authority; mistress; -- a feminine correlative of lord.

Lady (n.) A woman of refined or gentle manners; a well-bred woman; -- the feminine correlative of gentleman.

Lady (n.) A wife; -- not now in approved usage.

Lady (n.) The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; -- so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates.

Ladybird (n.) Any one of numerous species of small beetles of the genus Coccinella and allied genera (family Coccinellidae); -- called also ladybug, ladyclock, lady cow, lady fly, and lady beetle. Coccinella seplempunctata in one of the common European species. See Coccinella.

Ladyfish (n.) A large, handsome oceanic fish (Albula vulpes), found both in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; -- called also bonefish, grubber, French mullet, and macabe.

Ladylike (a.) Like a lady in appearance or manners; well-bred.

Ladyship (n.) The rank or position of a lady; -- given as a title (preceded by her or your).

Laky (a.) Transparent; -- said of blood rendered transparent by the action of some solvent agent on the red blood corpuscles.

Lanyard (n.) A short piece of rope or Lary (n.) A guillemot; -- called also lavy.

Laryngotracheotomy (n.) The operation of cutting into the larynx and the upper part of the trachea, -- a frequent operation for obstruction to breathing.

Lawyer (n.) The black-necked stilt. See Stilt.

Lily (n.) A plant and flower of the genus Lilium, endogenous bulbous plants, having a regular perianth of six colored pieces, six stamens, and a superior three-celled ovary.

Lily (n.) That end of a compass needle which should point to the north; -- so called as often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.

Lily (n.) A royal spade; -- usually in pl. See Royal spade, below.

Moly (n.) A kind of garlic (Allium Moly) with large yellow flowers; -- called also golden garlic.

Molybdenite (n.) A mineral occurring in soft, lead-gray, foliated masses or scales, resembling graphite; sulphide of molybdenum.

Molybdenum (n.) A rare element of the chromium group, occurring in nature in the minerals molybdenite and wulfenite, and when reduced obtained as a hard, silver-white, difficulty fusible metal. Symbol Mo. Atomic weight 95.9.

Nagyagite (n.) A mineral of blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster, generally of a foliated massive structure; foliated tellurium. It is a telluride of lead and gold.

Only (a.) Singly; without more; as, only-begotten.

Only (conj.) Save or except (that); -- an adversative used elliptically with or without that, and properly introducing a single fact or consideration.

Phryganeides (n. pl.) A tribe of neuropterous insects which includes the caddice flies; -- called also Trichoptera. See Trichoptera.

Pipy (a.) Like a pipe; hollow-stemmed.

Pity (v. t.) To move to pity; -- used impersonally.

Ployment (n.) The act or movement of forming a column from a Polyandry (n.) The possession by a woman of more than one husband at the same time; -- contrasted with monandry.

Polyanthus (n.) The oxlip. So called because the peduncle bears a many-flowered umbel. See Oxlip. (b) A bulbous flowering plant of the genus Narcissus (N. Tazetta, or N. polyanthus of some authors). See Illust. of Narcissus.

Polyarchist (n.) One who advocates polyarchy; -- opposed to monarchist.

Polyautography (n.) The act or practice of multiplying copies of one's own handwriting, or of manuscripts, by printing from stone, -- a species of lithography.

Polybasic (a.) Capable of neutralizing, or of combining with, several molecules of a monacid base; having several hydrogen atoms capable of being replaced by basic radicals; -- said of certain acids; as, sulphuric acid is polybasic.

Polybasite (n.) An iron-black ore of silver, consisting of silver, sulphur, and antimony, with some copper and arsenic.

Polycarpellary (a.) Composed of several or numerous carpels; -- said of such fruits as the orange.

Polychroite (n.) The coloring matter of saffron; -- formerly so called because of the change of color on treatment with certain acids; -- called also crocin, and safranin.

Polychrome (n.) Esculin; -- so called in allusion to its fluorescent solutions.

Polychromous (a.) Of or pertaining to polychromy; many-colored; polychromatic.

Polycrotism (n.) That state or condition of the pulse in which the pulse curve, or sphygmogram, shows several secondary crests or elevations; -- contrasted with monocrotism and dicrotism.

Polyeidic (a.) Passing through several distinct larval forms; -- having several distinct kinds of young.

Polygala (n.) A genus of bitter herbs or shrubs having eight stamens and a two-celled ovary (as the Seneca snakeroot, the flowering wintergreen, etc.); milkwort.

Polygamous (a.) Of or pertaining to polygamy; characterized by, or involving, polygamy; having a plurality of wives; as, polygamous marriages; -- opposed to monogamous.

Polygamy (n.) The having of a plurality of wives or husbands at the same time; usually, the marriage of a man to more than one woman, or the practice of having several wives, at the same time; -- opposed to monogamy; as, the nations of the East practiced polygamy. See the Note under Bigamy, and cf. Polyandry.

Polygastric (a.) Having several bellies; -- applied to muscles which are made up of several bellies separated by short tendons.

Polygeny (n.) The theory that living organisms originate in cells or embryos of different kinds, instead of coming from a single cell; -- opposed to monogenesis.

Polygenist (n.) One who maintains that animals of the same species have sprung from more than one original pair; -- opposed to monogenist.

Polyhalite (n.) A mineral usually occurring in fibrous masses, of a brick-red color, being tinged with iron, and consisting chiefly of the sulphates of lime, magnesia, and soda.

Polymeniscous (a.) Having numerous facets; -- said of the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans.

Polymeric (a.) Having the same percentage composition (that is, having the same elements united in the same proportion by weight), but different molecular weights; -- often used with with; thus, cyanic acid (CNOH), fulminic acid (C2N2O2H2), and cyanuric acid (C3N3O3H3), are polymeric with each other.

Polymorphosis (n.) The assumption of several structural forms without a corresponding difference in function; -- said of sponges, etc.

Polymorphous (a.) Having, or occurring in, several distinct forms; -- opposed to monomorphic.

Polynomial (n.) An expression composed of two or more terms, connected by the signs plus or minus; as, a2 - 2ab + b2.

Polyphonic (a.) Consisting of several tone series, or melodic parts, progressing simultaneously according to the laws of counterpoint; contrapuntal; as, a polyphonic composition; -- opposed to homophonic, or monodic.

Polyphony (n.) Composition in mutually related, equally important parts which share the melody among them; contrapuntal composition; -- opposed to homophony, in which the melody is given to one part only, the others filling out the harmony. See Counterpoint.

Polyphyletic (a.) Pertaining to, or characterized by, descent from more than one root form, or from many different root forms; polygenetic; -- opposed to monophyletic.

Polyphyllous (a.) Many-leaved; as, a polyphyllous calyx or perianth.

Polypidom (n.) A coral, or corallum; also, one of the coral-like structure made by bryozoans and hydroids.

Polyptoton (n.) A figure by which a word is repeated in different forms, cases, numbers, genders, etc., as in Tennyson's Polypus (n.) A tumor, usually with a narrow base, somewhat resembling a pear, -- found in the nose, uterus, etc., and produced by hypertrophy of some portion of the mucous membrane.

Polystome (n.) An animal having many mouths; -- applied to Protozoa.

Polystyle (a.) Having many columns; -- said of a building, especially of an interior part or court; as, a polystyle hall.

Polysulphide (n.) A sulphide having more than one atom of sulphur in the molecule; -- contrasted with monosulphide.

Polysyllable (n.) A word of many syllables, or consisting of more syllables than three; -- words of less than four syllables being called monosyllables, dissyllables, and trisyllables.

Polytechnic (a.) Comprehending, or relating to, many arts and sciences; -- applied particularly to schools in which many branches of art and science are taught with especial reference to their practical application; also to exhibitions of machinery and industrial products.

Polythalamous (a.) Many-chambered; -- applied to shells of Foraminifera and cephalopods. See Illust. of Nautilus.

Polytomous (a.) Subdivided into many distinct subordinate parts, which, however, not being jointed to the petiole, are not true leaflets; -- said of leaves.

Pony (n.) Twenty-five pounds sterling.

Polyphase (a.) Having or producing two or more phases; multiphase; as, a polyphase machine, a machine producing two or more pressure waves of electro-motive force, differing in phase; a polyphase current.

Rely (v. i.) To rest with confidence, as when fully satisfied of the veracity, integrity, or ability of persons, or of the certainty of facts or of evidence; to have confidence; to trust; to depend; -- with on, formerly also with in.

Ruby (n.) Any species of South American humming birds of the genus Clytolaema. The males have a ruby-colored throat or breast.

Ruby (a.) Ruby-colored; red; as, ruby lips.

Satyr (n.) The orang-outang.

Sipy (a.) Oozy; -- applied to land under cultivation that is not well drained.

Sley (v. t.) To separate or part the threads of, and arrange them in a reed; -- a term used by weavers. See Sleave, and Sleid.

Stay (n.) A large, strong rope, employed to support a mast, by being extended from the head of one mast down to some other, or to some part of the vessel. Those which lead forward are called fore-and-aft stays; those which lead to the vessel's side are called backstays. See Illust. of Ship.

Stayed (a.) Staid; fixed; settled; sober; -- now written staid. See Staid.

Stayship (n.) A remora, -- fabled to stop ships by attaching itself to them.

Swayed (a.) Bent down, and hollow in the back; sway-backed; -- said of a horse.

Swaying (n.) An injury caused by violent strains or by overloading; -- said of the backs of horses.

Syzygy (n.) The point of an orbit, as of the moon or a planet, at which it is in conjunction or opposition; -- commonly used in the plural.

Tidy (n.) The wren; -- called also tiddy.

Tivy (adv.) With great speed; -- a huntsman's word or sound.

Toty (n.) A sailor or fisherman; -- so called in some parts of the Pacific.

Ugly (superl.) Ill-natured; crossgrained; quarrelsome; as, an ugly temper; to feel ugly.

Upsyturvy (adv.) Upside down; topsy-turvy.

Vary (v. i.) To deviate; to depart; to swerve; -- followed by from; as, to vary from the law, or from reason.

Wany (a.) Waning or diminished in some parts; not of uniform size throughout; -- said especially of sawed boards or timber when tapering or uneven, from being cut too near the outside of the log.

Wany (a.) Spoiled by wet; -- said of timber.

Zany (n.) A merry-andrew; a buffoon.

About the author

Mark McCracken Author: Mark McCracken is a corporate trainer and author living in Higashi Osaka, Japan. He is the author of thousands of online articles as well as the Business English textbook, "25 Business Skills in English".

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