Inherited from Middle English toye (“amorous play, piece of fun or entertainment”), probably from Middle Dutch toy, tuyg (“tools, apparatus, utensil, ornament”) as in Dutch speel-tuig (“plaything, toy”), from Old Dutch *tiug, from Proto-West Germanic *tiugī̆, *teug, from Proto-Germanic *teugą (“stuff, matter, device, gear, lever”, literally “that which is drawn or pulled”), from Proto-Germanic *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”).
Cognate with Dutch tuig (“thing”), German Zeug (“stuff”), Danish tøj (“stuff”), Icelandic tygi, Norwegian tøy (“equipment, riggings, stuff”), Swedish tyg (“cloth, textile, fabric”). Related to tug, tow, taw, tew.
Meanings
(attributive) Impractical or unsuitable for real-world use, due to being unrealistically small or simple.
Our evaluation scenarios are purposefully simplistic […] This implies that the scenarios are quite toy and not representative of real deployments. 2024 December 5, Alexander Meinke et al., Frontier Models are Capable of In-context Scheming, page 15:
Inherited from Middle English toye (“amorous play, piece of fun or entertainment”), probably from Middle Dutch toy, tuyg (“tools, apparatus, utensil, ornament”) as in Dutch speel-tuig (“plaything, toy”), from Old Dutch *tiug, from Proto-West Germanic *tiugī̆, *teug, from Proto-Germanic *teugą (“stuff, matter, device, gear, lever”, literally “that which is drawn or pulled”), from Proto-Germanic *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”).
Cognate with Dutch tuig (“thing”), German Zeug (“stuff”), Danish tøj (“stuff”), Icelandic tygi, Norwegian tøy (“equipment, riggings, stuff”), Swedish tyg (“cloth, textile, fabric”). Related to tug, tow, taw, tew.
Meanings
Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child.
A grown man like him does not play with a child’s toy.
A thing of little importance or value; a trifle.
he had deflowered the abbess, and as many besides of the nuns as he could, and leaves him withal rings, jewels, girdles, and such toys to give them still, when they came to visit him. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
tis a pretie toy to be a Poet. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:
A simple, light piece of music, written especially for the virginal.
(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of toy dog.
Since standards are large dogs, they grow much more rapidly than miniatures and toys, which means that they require more supplements. 1968, Jeff Griffen, The Poodle Book, page 36:
(obsolete) Love play, amorous dalliance; fondling.
Then seemed him his Lady by him lay, / And to him playnd, how that false winged boy, / Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame pleasures toy. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
(obsolete) A vague fancy, a ridiculous idea or notion; a whim.
Though they do talk with you, and seem to be otherwise employed, and to your thinking very intent and busy, still that toy runs in their mind, that fear, that suspicion, that abuse, that jealousy […]. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], chapter 3, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 2:
Nor light and idle toys my lines may vainly swell. 1612, Michael Drayton, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC:
What if a toy take 'em i'th' heels now, and they all run away. c. 1608–1610, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Philaster: Or, Love Lies a Bleeding”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
To fly about playing their wanton toys. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 50:
(obsolete) An old story; a silly tale.
More strange than true: I never may believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
(Scotland, archaic) A headdress of linen or wool that hangs down over the shoulders, worn by elderly women of the lower classes.
Having, moreover, put on her clean toy, rokelay, and scarlet plaid. 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, euphemistic) Ellipsis of sex toy.
It is incorrect to say that toys tag and masters piece; toys just do bad tags, bad throw-ups, and bad pieces. 2009, Gregory J. Snyder, Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York's Urban Underground, page 40:
I was a toy until I met Sear, who moved here from Toronto and showed me the book Subway Art. 2011, Adam Melnyk, Visual Orgasm: The Early Years of Canadian Graffiti, page 45:
DAVE COLUMBO (played by Gabriel Bisset-Smith): So, Rave, you’re a graffiti artist. RAVE: Writer. Graffiti writer. There’s a difference. DAVE COLUMBO: What do you make of “I Came By”(the practice of robbing rich people’s houses and tagging them with the words “I came by”)? RAVE: I think whoever done it is a fucking toy. I heard it’s not the same crew anymore. 2022 August 31, Babak Anvari, Namsi Khan, 15:22 from the start, in Babak Anvari, director, I Came By (film), spoken by Rave (Sean Rey):
(Multicultural-London-English, slang) A gun.
RONNIE: Now, that is a SIG Sauer P226. JIMMY VICKERS (played by Danny Dyer): Yeah, takes 19 in the clip. It’s effective up to 50 metres. RONNIE: Man knows his toys. 2013 December 23, Stephen Reynolds, 48:02 from the start, in Stephen Reynolds, director, Vendetta (film), spoken by Ronnie (Nick Nevern):
(dated, euphemistic, slang) The penis.
(dated, euphemistic, slang) The vagina.
(dated, slang) A watch.
a toy and tackle (a watch and chain)
And as it commonly took three men to secure a single watch in the open street—one to 'front,' one to snatch, and a third to take from the snatcher—the gains of the toy-getting trade were poor, except to the fence. 1896, Arthur Morrison, A Child of the Jago, London: Methuen & Co., page 239:
Me and the other one went by ourselves; he was very tricky (clever) at getting a poge or a toy, but he would not touch toys because we was afraid of being turned over (searched). 1879 October, “Autobiography of a Thief in Thieves' Language”, in Macmillan's Magazine, volume 40, number 240, page 505, column 2:
(dated, slang) A small jar (about an inch across) used to hold prepared opium.
Sonia, with a woman's dainty deftness in small matters, dug out the chocolate-colored opium from a little white jar, a "toey," cooking it over a steady flame of peanut-oil. 1915, George Bronson Howard, God's Man, Indianapolis, I.N.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 127:
Chang was always on call, to go to Americans with "toys" of hop, ready to "cook," if desired by his patrons. 1928, May Churchill Sharpe [i.e., Chicago May], Chicago May: Her Story, New York, N.Y.: The Macaulay Company, pages 159–160:
I called up Mike and pleaded with him to bring me the joint (the layout) and put me out of my misery. Instead he came up with some medicine, a patent product called Wampoole's Mixture that was supposed to help you taper off the stuff. What you did was, you took a toy (a tin) of hop and shook it up with this medicine in a bottle and kept taking it every day. As the bottle got empty you kept filling it up again with more of the medicine, so the amount of hop kept going down and finally you were taking practically straight medicine. 1946, Mezz Mezzrow, Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, pages 253–254:
(dated, slang) A small ball of opium (about the size of a pea).
I smoked a toy a day, same as on the ship. You could buy a small toy for two dollars. 1989, David Courtwright, Herman Joseph, Don Des Jarlais, quoting Lao Pai-Hsing (translated interview), Addicts Who Survived: An Oral History of Narcotic Use in America, 1923-1965, Knoxville, T.N.: The University of Tennessee Press, →ISBN, page 84:
The act at the Alamo began with Jackson sprawled on a chair and pretending to be smoking opium. He used a broom handle with a tin cup at the end as if he were cooking opium. There wasn't a patron in the joint who had to ask what they were pretending to do. When Jackson took small balls of wax and said he was making "toys," everybody laughed. 1991, Jimmy Breslin, Damon Runyon, New York, N.Y.: Ticknor & Fields, →ISBN, pages 176–177:
lmo bellee (something to play with) · hi खिलौना (something to play with) · ja 遊び道具 (something to play with) · rup giucãreauã (something to play with) · mk и́грачка (something to play with) · mga áillecán (something to play with) · tg бозича (something to play with) · ga bréagán (something to play with) · gd cluicheag (something to play with) · pl bawidło (something to play with) · mt ġugarell (something to play with) · io ludilo (something to play with) · uk за́бавка (something to play with) · grc παίγνιον (something to play with) · vo pledadin (something to play with) · sh ìgračka (something to play with) · mfe zouzou (something to play with) · eo ludilo (something to play with) · as খেলনা (something to play with) · rsk бависко (something to play with) · eo amuzilo (something to play with) · cs hračka (something to play with) · tsg panayaman (something to play with) · ca joguina (something to play with) · ro jucărie (something to play with) · da legetøj (something to play with) · ru безделу́шка (something to play with) · lo ຂອງຫລິ້ນ (something to play with) · arz لعبة (something to play with) · nn leikety (something to play with) · nrf jouaette (something to play with) · la lūdibrium (something to play with) · ccc is̈hakatu'kulu'to kana (something to play with) · dng фалазы (something to play with) · la crepundia (something to play with) · kmr pêlîstok (something to play with) · ug ئويۇنچۇق (something to play with) · lt žaislas (something to play with) · ps لوبڅی (something to play with) · uk ца́цка (something to play with) · sk hračka (something to play with) · pt brinquedo (something to play with) · pa ਖਿਡੌਣਾ (something to play with) · chr ᏗᏁᎵᏙᏗ (something to play with) · nb leiketøy (something to play with) · hy խաղալիք (something to play with) · lo ຂອງຫລີ້ນ (something to play with) · nn leike (something to play with) · sq lodër (something to play with) · yue 玩具 (something to play with) · et mänguasi (something to play with) · it giocattolo (something to play with) · prs سَامَانِ بَازِی (something to play with) · lv rotaļlieta (something to play with) · it balocco (something to play with) · tt уенчык (something to play with) · pa کِھڈَوݨا (something to play with) · oj odaminwaagan (something to play with) · el παιχνίδι (something to play with) · nan-hbl 𨑨迌物 (something to play with) · uk і́грашка (something to play with) · ps بازيچه (something to play with) · kab ⴰⵍⵉⵍⵓⵛ (something to play with) · gv gaih (something to play with) · ko 장난감 (something to play with) · bg игра́чка (something to play with) · fa-ira بازیچِه (something to play with) · th ของเล่น (something to play with) · bo རྩེད་ཆས (something to play with) · he צַעֲצוּעַ (something to play with) · te ఆటబొమ్మ (something to play with) · sa क्रीडनक (something to play with) · ms mainan (something to play with) · scn jocu (something to play with) · csb bawidło (something to play with) · mn тоглоом (something to play with) · nn leiketøy (something to play with) · lmo zögàtol (something to play with) · prs بَازِیچَه (something to play with) · izh lello (something to play with) · ko 완롱물 (something to play with) · vi đồ chơi (something to play with) · as খেলাবস্তু (something to play with) · ko 완구 (something to play with) · sh ѝграчка (something to play with) · ta பொம்மை (something to play with) · id mainan (something to play with) · gu રમકડું (something to play with) · oc joguet (something to play with) · tl laruan (something to play with) · nb leke (something to play with) · de Spielzeug (something to play with) · lo ຂອງຫຼິ້ນ (something to play with) · pl zabawka (something to play with) · tr oyuncak (something to play with) · az oyuncaq (something to play with) · be ца́цка (something to play with) · af speelgoed (something to play with) · ja 玩具 (something to play with) · mi mea tākaro (something to play with) · scn jucàttulu (something to play with) · gl xoguete (something to play with) · es juguete (something to play with) · dng ванйир (something to play with) · be за́баўка (something to play with) · an chuguete (something to play with) · yi צאַצקע (something to play with) · fi leikkikalu (something to play with) · bn খেলনা (something to play with) · kk ойыншық (something to play with) · mfe zwe (something to play with) · is leikfang (something to play with) · yi שפּילכל (something to play with) · hu játék (something to play with) · cy tegan (something to play with) · my ကစားစရာ (something to play with) · tk oýnawaç (something to play with) · ru ца́цка (something to play with) · fi lelu (something to play with) · gd àilleagan (something to play with) · ru игру́шка (something to play with) · el άθυρμα (something to play with) · wuu 玩具 (something to play with) · grc ἄθυρμα (something to play with) · hu játékszer (something to play with) · prs اَسْبَاب بَازِی (something to play with) · ca joguet (something to play with) · ajp لعبة (something to play with) · hak 玩具 (something to play with) · ceb dulaan (something to play with) · gd dèideag (something to play with) · mn ᠲᠣᠭᠯᠠᠭᠠᠮ (something to play with) · rue гра́чка (something to play with) · ht jwèt (something to play with) · ml കളിപ്പാട്ടം (something to play with) · ur کِھلَونا (something to play with) · ar لُعْبَة (something to play with) · nb leike (something to play with) · gv goog (something to play with) · haw mea pāʻani (something to play with) · ar دُمْيَة (something to play with) · dng фалар (something to play with) · yi שפּילצײַג (something to play with) · uz oʻyinchoq (something to play with) · eu jostailu (something to play with) · ka სათამაშო (something to play with) · gv didee (something to play with) · sl igrača (something to play with) · ky оюнчук (something to play with) · lut sč̓aʔa (something to play with) · fa-ira اَسْباب بازی (something to play with) · ja トイ (something to play with) · isd ayam (something to play with) · nb leketøy (something to play with) · cdo 客佻乇 (something to play with) · oc joguina (something to play with) · cmn 玩具 (something to play with) · tk oýunjak (something to play with) · mr खेळणे (something to play with) · km តុក្កតា (something to play with) · ota لعبت (something to play with) · nl speelgoed (something to play with) · ba уйынсыҡ (something to play with) · sv leksak (something to play with) · fr jouet (something to play with)
Inherited from Middle English toye (“amorous play, piece of fun or entertainment”), probably from Middle Dutch toy, tuyg (“tools, apparatus, utensil, ornament”) as in Dutch speel-tuig (“plaything, toy”), from Old Dutch *tiug, from Proto-West Germanic *tiugī̆, *teug, from Proto-Germanic *teugą (“stuff, matter, device, gear, lever”, literally “that which is drawn or pulled”), from Proto-Germanic *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”).
Cognate with Dutch tuig (“thing”), German Zeug (“stuff”), Danish tøj (“stuff”), Icelandic tygi, Norwegian tøy (“equipment, riggings, stuff”), Swedish tyg (“cloth, textile, fabric”). Related to tug, tow, taw, tew.
Meanings
(intransitive) To play (with) in an idle or desultory way.
to toy with a piece of food on one’s plate
His [Hercules's] Lyons skin chaungd to a pall of gold, / In which forgetting warres, he onely ioyed / In combats of ſweet loue, and with his miſtreſſe toyed. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 24, page 246:
Figo is toying with the English defence.
(intransitive) To ponder or consider.
I have been toying with the idea of starting my own business.
(slang, transitive) To stimulate with a sex toy.
He could see her hand go to her slit, and soon she was toying herself along, breathing heavily. 2013, Jonathan Everest, Lady Loverly's Chattel:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
toys
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
toyed
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
toyed
Tense=Past
lexicographic
toying
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
Translations (37)
it giocherellare (to ponder or consider) · sh поигравати се (to play with) · bg играя си (to play with) · fi leikkiä (to play with) · it trastullarsi (to play with) · it giocherellare (to play with) · de herumspielen (to play with) · sv leka (to play with) · fr jouer (avec) (to play with) · ta விளையாடு (to play with) · el παίζω (to play with) · af speel (to play with) · it baloccarsi (to play with) · nl spelen (to ponder or consider) · de spielen (to play with) · pt jogar (to play with) · fi leikitellä (to ponder or consider) · id mempermainkan (to play with) · es jugar / juguetear [con] (to play with) · it carezzare (to ponder or consider) · ru забавля́ться (to play with) · ca jugar (to play with) · ru игра́ть (to play with) · gl xogar (to play with) · tr oynamak (to play with) · sv leka (to ponder or consider) · fr caresser (une idée) (to ponder or consider) · fr triturer (to ponder or consider) · fr s'amuser (avec) (to play with) · cs zvažovat (to ponder or consider) · nl spelen (to play with) · sh poigravati se (to play with) · cs hrát si (to play with) · cs pohrávat si s myšlenkou (to ponder or consider) · it giocare (to play with) · es darle vueltas a una idea (to ponder or consider) · sh poigravati se (s idejom) (to ponder or consider)