kye

See also: Kye

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English ky, kye, from Old English cȳ (“cows”), plural of cū (“cow”). Cognate with Dutch koeien (“cows”), German Kühe (“cows”), Danish køer (“cows”), Icelandic kýr (“cows”). More at cow and compare kine (“cows”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophone: Kai

Noun

kye

1. (archaic or dialectal) plural of cow
   • 1836, Joanna Baillie, Witchcraft, act 1:

     Ay, that I do, to my cost. She and her black cat, too, live owre near my milk kye, Brindle and Hawky gi' but half the milk they should gi', and we wat weel whare the ither half gangs to.

   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 23:

     devil the move would the factor at Meikle House make to […] mend the roof of the byre that leaked like a sieve on the head of Mistress Munro when she milked the kye on a stormy night.

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• ki
• ky

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophone: Kai

Noun

kye (uncountable)

1. (UK, naval slang) Cocoa (the drink).
   • 2009, John Roberts, Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy:

     […] wrapped in layers of warm clothing against rushing icy air, and all longing for bubbling hot kye (Navy cocoa) at midnight.

   • 2013, David Arnold, Hursey in Conflict: A Story of Love and Victory, page 73:

     Then he walked back to the wheelhouse. Guido arrived with three cups of kye and a plate of hot buttered toast.

Etymology 3

From Korean 계(契) (gye).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kjeɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Noun

kye (plural kyes)

1. A Korean fundraising meeting.

Anagrams

• Key, key

Japanese

Romanization

kye

1. The katakana syllable キェ (kye) in Hepburn-like romanization.

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

kye

1. Alternative form of keye (“key”)

Etymology 2

Noun

kye

1. Alternative form of kie

Scots

Etymology 1

From Old English cȳ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kae/

Noun

kye

1. plural of coo
   • 1794, Robert Burns, The Highland Widow's Lament:

     For then I had a score o' kye, / Och-on, Och-on, Och-rie! / Feeding on yon hill sae high, / And giving milk to me.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʌj/

Noun

kye (plural kyes)

1. (Southern Scots) a key