▪ I. tony, a. (and n.2) colloq. (orig. U.S.).
(ˈtəʊnɪ)
Also toney.
[f. tone n. + -y.]
1. Having a high or fashionable tone; high-toned, stylish; ‘swell’.
| 1877 R. J. Burdette Rise & Fall of Mustache 177 He's a toney old cyclopedia on the patter. 1880 Harper's Mag. Jan. 209/2 He just put on heaps of style..you know—regular tony. 1886 Pall Mall G. 24 Sept. 5/1 Nevern-square, with its comfortable and, as the Americans have it, ‘tony’ residences. 1895 S. R. Hole Tour Amer. 270 Well you see, it is so toney. 1901 H. Lawson in Blackw. Mag. Apr. 478/1 The furniture looked as if it had belonged to a tony homestead at one time. 1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl xii. 299 The really toney women of the place came to take tea. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 158 Theodore's cousin in Dublin Castle. One tony relative in every family. 1959 D. Barton Loving Cup i. iii. 60 Have you got your dinner-jacket with you, old man?.. I'm afraid we're very toney these days. We seem to get tonier. 1966 ‘J. Hackston’ Father clears Out 84 Father, dignified and collected,..entered the calm, cool tony atmosphere of the Commercial Hotel. 1982 A. H. Garnet Maze (1983) iii. 14 He was charming..what Cyrus's mother used to call a ‘toney fella’. |
2. A fashion colour between red and brown; also as n. temporary.
| 1921 Punch 4 May 357/1 Ladies' artificial silk stockings. In black, white, nigger, grey and toney. 1927 W. E. Collinson Contemp. Eng. 61 Brogues..sometimes of ox⁓blood or tony red colour. 1965 Guardian 31 Mar. 15/1 Toney was a colour of the twenties which died with the twenties. |
▪ II. † ˈtony, v. Obs. rare.
[f. Tony n.1]
trans. To make a fool of; to fool, cheat, swindle.
| a 1652 Brome Damoiselle i. ii. Wks. 1873 I. 391 You, that had all these once,..To be wrought on, and tonyed out of all. |
▪ III. tony
obs. form of tunny, a fish.
▪ IV. tony
see toni.