▪ I. † moy, n.1 Obs.
Also 6 moye.
[Assumed sing. form of moyse, taken as pl.]
Only in apple moy = apple-mose.
| c 1390 Form of Cury in Warner Antiq. Culin. (1790) 42 Appulmoy. 1594 Gd. Huswife's Handmaid to Kitchin 43 b, To make an Apple Moye. 1802 J. Wilson MS. Let. to J. Boucher 17 Apr., Apple moy, or Apple de moy, the Pulp of boiled Apples sweetened and put by ready for Use. |
▪ II. † moy, n.2 Sc. Obs.
[app. a. F. muid (OF. mui) ‘bushel’:—L. modium (-us). Cf. muid.]
A measure used for salt; ? a bushel.
| 1535 Aberdeen Reg. XVI. 693 (Jam.) Twenty twa moys of gryt salt. 1538 Ibid., Ane moy of salt. |
▪ III. [moy, n.3
An imaginary name of a coin, evolved by ‘Ancient Pistol’ from a misunderstanding of the Fr. moy (me) in his prisoner's speech.
It seems unnecessary to suppose that there is an allusion to any genuine name of a coin. moidore, if the word existed so early, may have furnished Shakes. with the suggestion; but our oldest instance is of the 18th c. That the Pg. moeda was familiar to Shakes. is unlikely. Still less plausible is Douce's suggestion, that the word is the F. muid (moy n.2).
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. iv. 15 French. O prennes miserecordio aye pitez de moy. Pist. Moy shall not serue, I will haue fortie Moyes... French. O perdonne moy. Pist. Say'st thou me so? is that a Tonne of Moyes?] |
▪ IV. moy, a. Sc. and north.
(mɔɪ)
Mild, gentle; demure. Also, affected in manners, prim.
| 14.. How Gd. Wife taught Dau. 20 Suet and hamly, sempill and coy, Vith fenȝeit fair nocht mak our moy. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xliii. 11 Richt myld and moy. 1721 Kelly Scot. Prov. 31 A bit butt, and bit bend, make a moy Maiden at the board end. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Moy, demure, close or unsocial. |
Hence ˈmoyly adv., gently, demurely.
| 1529 Lyndesay Compl. 333 Geue thay can..mollet moylie on ane Mule. a 1585 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 111 So moylie and coylie He lukit like ane sant. |