▪ I. † coy, n.1 Obs. exc. dial.
(kɔɪ)
Also 6–7 quoy(e.
[a. Du. kooi, formerly côye, in same sense, a parallel form to MDu. couwe = MHG. kouwe, köuwe:—WGer. cawia, cauwia, a. L. cavea hollow, enclosure, cage.]
1. A place constructed for entrapping ducks or other wild-fowl; a decoy.
| 1621 [see coy-duck]. 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (1844) 3 A convenient place in the remotest part of the marsh for a coy. Ibid. 172 He advised me..to bring a spring into my coy. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams ii. 133 (D.) Until the great mallard be catch't in the coy. a 1825 in Forby Voc. E. Anglia. 1877 in Gloss. Holderness 46. 1877 E. Peacock N.W. Linc. Gloss., Coy, a decoy for taking wildfowl. |
2. A lobster-trap. dial.
| 1733 in W. Rye Cromer (1889) 72 In 1733 Richard Ellis..granted licences to erect ‘lobster coys’ off Cromer. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Coy..2. A coop for lobsters. |
3. = coy-duck. Also fig.
| 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 381 His mony flies out (like Stales or Quoyes) to fetch in more. 1659 Lady Alimony iii. vii, I have most fortunately made their pages our coyes. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as coy-bird, coy-dog, coy-house, coy-man, coy-pool. Also coy-duck.
| 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (1844) 44 John my coyman reported it. Ibid. 171 (Bridgewater) About half a mile hence is Orion's coy, which is placed near a highway. This is a large spacious coy-pool..There are five pipes in this coy as in mine. Ibid. 172 None so little, nor seeming so nimble as my coy-dogs. Ibid., The coy-house is larger than mine. 1639 J. Saltmarsh Pract. Policy 54 They will invite a returne of their like, and as quoy favours bring home more of their kinde to you. 1657 M. Lawrence Use & Pract. Faith 534 The Devil hath his coy-birds..to draw others into his net. |
▪ II. † coy, n.2 Obs.—1
[Seems to go with coy v.2: but may be from coy v.1]
Encouragement of an animal by clapping the hands or the like.
| a 1400 Octouian 1344 No man may on that stede ryde But a bloman be hym bysyde..For he hym maketh..A nyse coye [rime Troye]..The coye ys with hys handys two, Clappynde togedre to and fro. |
▪ III. † coy, n.3 Obs.
[a. F. coy ‘a sinke’, or as fosse coye ‘a priuie, jakes, house of office’, Cotgr. (lit. ‘quiet or retired ditch’.)]
? A sink.
| 1620 Markham Farew. Husb. (1625) 68 You shal in the lowest part of the ground (either ioyning vpon some other spoyled ground, or vpon the Sea wall or banke) place a Coy which may either cast the water into the other ground, or else ouer the wall and banke into the Sea. |
▪ IV. coy, a.
(kɔɪ)
Forms: 4–6 coie, koie, 5–6 koy, 5 koye, 6 Sc. quoy(e, 4– coy.
[a. F. coi (fem. coite) earlier quei = Pr. quetz:—L. *quētus, from quiētus at rest, still, quiet.]
† 1. Quiet, still. Chiefly in to bear, hold, keep (oneself) coy. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne (1810) 281 Cambinhoy beres him coy. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2286 Roland cryede an heȝ..Many sarsynz þan huld hem coye. c 1450 Merlin 318 His felowes..were stille and koy that seiden not o worde. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 540 Rycht closlie than tha held thame all full quoy. a 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iv. 163 The court was Coy, commandit was silence. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv. (1682) 158 Their Superiours, before whom they..keep great silence, and are wonderful coy during the time of their presence. |
† b. of things. Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneis ii. ix. 80 Secrete throwgangis ar schawin, wont to be quoy. 1593 Drayton Eclogues vii. 43 These things beene all to coy for mee, Whose youth is spent in jollity. |
† c. Cf. a quiet hint.
| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 52 Euphues, though he perceiued hir coy nippe, seemed not to care for it. |
2. Not demonstrative; shyly reserved or retiring. a. Of a person. Displaying modest backwardness or shyness (sometimes with emphasis on the displaying); not responding readily to familiar advances; now esp. of a girl or young woman.
| c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's Prol. 2 Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 86 Coy, or sobyr, sobrius, modestus. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 43 She was to them, as koy as a crokers mare. 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 96 'Tis but a kiss I beg: why art thou coy? 1622 Wither Philarete, Juven. (1633) 669 That coy one in the winning, Proves a true one being won. 1704 Pope Windsor For. 19 As some coy nymph her lover's warm address Nor quite indulges nor can quite repress. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. x. 114 Why should she hesitate, and play the coy girl? |
b. of actions, behaviour, looks, etc.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. ii. 27 He feining seemely merth, And shee coy lookes. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 669 Love's coy touch. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 310 Subjection..Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride. 1720 Gay Poems (1745) II. 165 The cruel nymph well knows to feign..coy looks, and cold disdain. 1825 Scott Betrothed ii, What value were there in the love of the maiden, were it yielded without coy delay? |
c. of animals; and fig.
| 1684 R. H. Sch. Recreat. 80 If he [the hawk] be froward and coy; when he kills, reward him not as usually. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. i. 14 The coy rabbit ventured from his den. 1880 Mrs. Forrester Roy & V. I. 104 Sleep was almost as coy a visitant with her as with her lover. |
d. transf. Of a place or thing: Withdrawn from view or access, inaccessible, secluded.
| 1670–98 R. Lassels Voy. Italy I. 83 The Bibliotheca Ambrosiana..is not so coy as the others, which scarce let themselves be seen. a 1767 Grainger (J.), The Nile's coy source. 1830 Scott Demonol. vi. 185 Pursuers of exact science to its coy retreats. |
e. Const. of or inf.: Reserved, backward.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 37 If good men be coy of their counsell. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle v. 1803 A true joviall boy, And one that of his purse is nothing coy. 1633 P. Fletcher Pisc. Ecl. v. xiv, Unworthy they of art, who of their art are coy. 1633 G. Herbert Temple, Unkindnesse i, Lord, make me coy and tender to offend. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 112 And her very vanity made her more coy of speech. |
f. Unwilling to commit oneself (about a matter); archly reticent or evasive.
| 1961 Mod. Romances Nov. 77 (Brown corpus) Ken got coy and wouldn't make any promises. 1978 J. Morris Oxford iii. xi. 139 Oxford is a little coy about her possessions, and often keeps them cannily hidden away. 1984 Financial Times 21 Mar. 6/3 Mr Pietrzak remains coy about prospective partners, although Japanese companies have been involved in talks as well as Fiat. 1986 Financial Times 25 Jan. (Weekend Suppl.) p. iii/5 If the Socialist Government is still pretending to be against denationalisation, the heads of the nationalised companies are not so coy. |
† 3. Of distant or disdainful demeanour. Also quasi-adv. Obs.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 67 b, Looke not so coye upon us poore Civilians I pray you, because we geve our endevour to learne y⊇ Statutes of Christian Religion. 1591 Spenser Virg. Gnat 494 A yoweman..Their match in glorie, mightie, fierce, and coy. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 245, I finde you passing gentle: 'Twas told me you were rough, and coy, and sullen. 1611 Cotgr., Mespriseresse, a coy, squeamish, or scornefull dame. 1665 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 89 He first goes to Prince Perwees..whom..he found so strangely altered, so coy and stately. |
† 4. to make it coy: to affect reserve, shyness, or disdain. Obs.
| a 1529 Skelton El. Rummyng 587 She made it as koy As a lege de moy. ― Magnyf. 1262 The knave wolde make it koy, and he cowde. 1530 Palsgr. 624/2, I make it coye, or nyce..je fais lestrange. |
† 5. Lascivious. (? an error; but cf. coy v.1 3.)
| 1570 Levins Manip. 214/14 To be coy, lasciuire, coire. Ibid., Coy, lasciuus, salax. |
▪ V. coy, v.1
(kɔɪ)
Also 4 koy, 7 quoy.
[f. coy a.: or perh. originally an aphetic form of acoy, accoy, OF. acoier vb.]
† 1. trans. To render quiet; to calm, appease.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 752 To..koy hem, that thei sey non harme of me. 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy Prol., He coyed also bothe beast, foule, and tree. 1530 Palsgr. 488/2, I coye, I styll or apayse. |
† 2. To stroke or touch soothingly, pat, caress.
| 1340–70 Alisaunder 1175 Hee coies hym as he kan with his clene handes. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 133 Coy her as muche as you can devise. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iv. i. 2 While I thy amiable cheekes doe coy. 1645 Bp. Hall Remed. Discontents §23 Like a dog, which being coyed, and stroked, follows us at the heels. 1674 N. Cox Gentl. Recreation ii. (1706) 74 Be very mindful of coying them [Sparrow hawks] as much as you can. |
† 3. a. To blandish, coax, court, gain over by caresses or coaxing. Obs.
| c 1490 Promp. Parv. 86 (MS. K.), Coyyn, blandior. 1567 Turberv. Ovid's Epist. 83 Sir Paris gone to Greece, faire Helena to coy. 1570–6 ― To late acquainted Friend, As when he [Iove] coyde the closed nunne in towre. 16.. Beaumont & Fl. Bonduca iv. iii, Who shall march out before ye, coy'd and courted By all the mistresses of war. |
† b. To coax, entice, allure into, from, etc. Obs. (Here, app. associated with coy n.1, decoy v.)
| 1634 Rainbow Labour (1635) 29 A wiser generation..who have the Art to coy the fonder sort into their nets. |
† c. intr. to coy with: to coax, blandish.
| 1660–1 Pepys Diary 7 Mar., With good words I thought to coy with him. |
4. a. intr. To act or behave coyly; to affect shyness or reserve. Chiefly in to coy it. arch.
| 1583 Stanyhurst æneis (Arb.) 139 If she coye, that kendleth thee fondling loouer his onset. c 1594 Kyd Sp. Trag. ii. in Hazl. Dodsley V. 47 Although she coy it, as becomes her kind. 1625 Massinger New Way iii. ii, When He comes to woo you, see you do not coy it: This mincing modesty has spoil'd many a match. 1691 Dryden K. Arthur iii. ii, What, coying it again! 1713 Rowe J. Shore 11, Thus to coy it! With one who knows you too! 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xi, What! you coy it, my nymph of the high-way? |
† b. To disdain. Obs. rare.
| 1607 Shakes. Cor. v. i. 6 If he..coy'd To heare Cominius speake, Ile keepe at home. |
5. fig. To withdraw itself, recede into the background.
| 1864 Blackmore C. Vaughan lxiv, Of all the fronds and plumes and coyings, nothing so withdrew and coyed. 1866 ― Crad. Nowell i, A massive wood..coying and darkening here and there. |
6. trans. To disguise or slight in a demure manner. rare.
| 1873 Trollope Eustace Diamonds I. xv. 198 She throws from her..all idea of coying her love. She would leap at his neck if he were there. 1874 ― Way we live Now I. xix. 124 Do not coy your love for me if you can feel it. 1880 ― Duke's Children III. viii. 88 She had coyed his love, so that he had been justified in thinking himself free from any claim in that direction. |
Hence † ˈcoying vbl. n.1, fondling, coaxing, blandishing.
| 1580 Lyly Euphues & Eng. (Arb.) 277 We esteeme it [their old wooing and singing] barbarous: and were they liuing to heare our newe quoyings..they would tearme it foolish. 1603 Drayton Odes vi. 46 The Mothers o'r-joying, Makes by much coying The Child so untoward. 1887 F. W. Bourdillon Aucassin & Nicolette 3 Sweet thy kiss, and sweet thy coying! None could hate thee, Nicolette! |
▪ VI. † coy, v.2 Obs.
[See coy n.2]
To instigate or stir up to action. Hence † ˈcoying vbl. n.2
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 86 Coynge, or styrynge to werkyn [v. rr. sterynge to done a werke, styringe], instigacio. |