shy
Pronunciation: (shī), [key] — adj., v., n., pl. shy•er shi•er, shy•est shi•est, shied, shy•ing, shies.
—adj. - bashful; retiring.
- easily frightened away; timid.
- suspicious; distrustful: I am a bit shy of that sort of person.
- reluctant; wary.
- deficient: shy of funds.
- scant; short of a full amount or number: still a few dollars shy of our goal; an inch shy of being six feet.
- (in poker) indebted to the pot.
- not bearing or breeding freely, as plants or animals.
- to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
—v.i. - (esp. of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
- to draw back; recoil.
—n. - a sudden start aside, as in fear.
shy
Pronunciation: (shī), [key] — v., n., pl. shied, shy•ing, shies.
—v.t., v.i. - to throw with a swift, sudden movement: to shy a stone.
—n. - a quick, sudden throw.
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- a gibe or sneer.
- a try.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.