Shyest

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Shy \Shy\ (sh[imac]), a. [Compar. {Shier} (sh[imac]"[~e]r) or
     {Shyer}; superl. {Shiest} or {Shyest}.] [OE. schey, skey,
     sceouh, AS. sce['o]h; akin to Dan. sky, Sw. skygg, D. schuw,
     MHG. schiech, G. scheu, OHG. sciuhen to be or make timid. Cf.
     {Eschew}.]
     1. Easily frightened; timid; as, a shy bird.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              The horses of the army . . . were no longer shy, but
              would come up to my very feet without starting.
                                                    --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar approach.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              What makes you so shy, my good friend? There's
              nobody loves you better than I.       --Arbuthnot.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The embarrassed look of shy distress
              And maidenly shamefacedness.          --Wordsworth.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Cautious; wary; suspicious.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the
              preparation of medicines.             --Boyle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of
              thier successors.                     --Sir H.
                                                    Wotton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Inadequately supplied; short; lacking; as, the team is shy
        two players.[Slang]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     5. (Poker), owing money to the pot; -- in cases where an
        opponent's bet has exceeded a player's available stake or
        chips, but the player chooses to continue playing the hand
        before adding the required bet to the pot. [Slang]
        [PJC]
  
     {To fight shy}. See under {Fight}, v. i.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  shy
       adj 1: lacking self-confidence; "stood in the doorway diffident and
              abashed"; "problems that call for bold not timid
              responses"; "a very unsure young man" [syn: {diffident},
               {timid}, {unsure}]
       2: easily startled or frightened
       3: short; "eleven is one shy of a dozen" [syn: {shy(p)}]
       4: wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things;
          "shy of strangers"
       n : a quick throw; "he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman"
       v 1: start suddenly, as from fight
       2: throw quickly
       [also: {shied}, {shyest}, {shyer}, {shiest}, {shier}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  shyest
       See {shy}