boy
-
1 male child (n.) A1 Beginnera male child or a young man.
a male child or adolescent; often used to distinguish by gender or age.
ExampleThe young boy played with his toy cars on the living room rug.
ExampleThe local primary school reported a significant increase in the number of boys enrolling for the new music programme this semester.
-
2 son (n.) A1 Beginneryour male child, no matter how old he is.
a male offspring of any age; used as a kinship term.
ExampleShe is very proud of her boy, who just started university.
ExampleEven though he was nearly forty, his mother still referred to him as her baby boy during family gatherings.
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
-
3 male friend (n.) B1 Intermediate Informala male friend or a man you work with.
a male peer, friend, or associate; frequently used in the plural to refer to a social group.
ExampleI am going out for dinner with the boys from work tonight.
ExampleAfter the match, the boys headed to the local pub to celebrate their unexpected victory over the league leaders.
-
4 subordinate or servant (n.) C1 Advanced Archaic Formala man who works for someone else, often in a lower position.
a male servant, assistant, or employee; often carries historical or status-based connotations.
ExampleIn the old movie, the office boy delivered the mail to every desk.
ExampleThe historical archives describe the role of the cabin boy, who performed menial tasks aboard nineteenth-century merchant vessels.
UsageIn many modern contexts, using this to refer to an adult man is considered offensive or belittling.
Teacher's tipThis sense is largely historical; using it for adult staff in modern English is often seen as racist or demeaning.