gay

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“
In all other cases G is pronounced hard, as in the English word "gay"; as Gato (cat), Gobierno (government), Gusto (pleasure, taste H is a mute letter.

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Definitions (32)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. adjective Of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex.
  2. adjective Showing or characterized by cheerfulness and lighthearted excitement; merry.
  3. adjective Bright or lively, especially in color: a gay, sunny room.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (15)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

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Examples (50)

  • However, Most Holy Redeemer is widely known as a gay-friendly parish that in years past has sent contingents to march in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade. —  AroundTheCapitol.com
  • Take the word gay -- like, in hip-hop, that's a negative thing, right? —  Metro Weekly (Newspaper Magazine of Gay and Lesbian DC)
  • The announcement comes just days after the newspaper questioned whether Britain was being run by what it called a gay mafia. —  Guy Fawkes' blog
  • They have painted him as pro-gay, anti-religious and anti-American. —  Free Internet Press
  • Many people on this list hate being described as a gay or lesbian politician, but unfortunately we do not yet live in a society where sexual orientation is an irrelevance. —  PinkNews.co.uk
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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

beautiful ·  pleasant ·  merry ·  splendid ·  brave

Used in the same contextWord Family

gay:   gays
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English gai, lighthearted, brightly colored, from Old French, possibly of Germanic origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. from Middle English gay, from Old French gai, later gay, French gai = Provencal gai, guay, jai = Old Spanish gayo = Portuguese gaio = Italian gajo, gay, merry, from Old High German gāhi, Middle High German gæhc (cf. equivalent gāch), German gähe (= Middle Low German ga), usually, with irreg. initial j (in imitation of jagen, hunt?), jähe, quick, sudden, rash, headlong, steep; not connected with gehen = English go. Hence, with assibilation, jay, q. v.
  2. Scots also gae, gey; from gay, a. For the use, cf. the adverb pretty.
  3. Origin obscure.
 

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/gei/
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