Shy (shī), a.
[Compar. Shier (-ẽr) or Shyer;
superl. Shiest or Shyest.] [OE.
schey, skey, sceouh, AS. sceóh;
akin to Dan. sky, Sw. skygg, D. schuw, MHG.
schiech, G. scheu, OHG. sciuhen to be or make
timid. Cf. Eschew.] 1. Easily frightened;
timid; as, a shy bird.
The horses of the army . . . were no longer shy,
but would come up to my very feet without starting.
Swift.
2. Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar
approach.
What makes you so shy, my good friend? There's
nobody loves you better than I.
Arbuthnot.
The embarrassed look of shy distress
And maidenly shamefacedness.
Wordsworth.
3. Cautious; wary; suspicious.
I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the
preparation of medicines.
Boyle.
Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of
thier successors.
Sir H. Wotton.
To fight shy. See under Fight,
v. i.
Shy, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Shied (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Shying.] [From Shy, a.] To start
suddenly aside through fright or suspicion; -- said especially of
horses.
Shy, v. t. To throw sidewise with a
jerk; to fling; as, to shy a stone; to shy a
slipper. T. Hughes.
Shy, n. 1. A sudden
start aside, as by a horse.
2. A side throw; a throw; a fling.
Thackeray.
If Lord Brougham gets a stone in his hand, he must, it
seems, have a shy at somebody.
Punch.Shy (?), a. Inadequately supplied;
short; lacking; as, the team is shy two players.
[Slang]