Main Entry:

¹gay

Pronunciation:

\ˈgā\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French gai, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German gāhi quick, sudden

Date:

14th century

1 a: happily excited : merry <in a gay mood> b: keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits <a bird's gay spring song>2 a: bright, lively <gay sunny meadows> b: brilliant in color3: given to social pleasures ; also : licentious4 a: homosexual <gay men> b: of, relating to, or used by homosexuals <the gay rights movement> <a gay bar>

synonyms see lively

— gay adverb

— gay·ness noun