oy

¹

or oi

[ oi ]

interjection

1. (used to express dismay, pain, annoyance, grief, etc.)

oy

²

or oe

[ oi ]

noun

, Scot.

1. a grandchild.
2. Obsolete. a nephew or niece.

Word History and Origins

Origin of oy¹

Borrowed into English from Yiddish around 1890–95

Origin of oy²

1425–75; late Middle English (north and Scots ) o ( o ), oy ( e ) < Scots Gaelic ogha; see O'

Example Sentences

I urge my Republican friends … I look forward to working with leaders of both parties … Oy.

From The Daily Beast

You put the id back in Yid, Portnoy instructed, and you come to understand the “oy” in goy.

From The Daily Beast

Oy Vey: On Tuesday, Mr. Kanye Kardashian revealed a song for his girlfriend, Kim.

From The Daily Beast

The axis Ox is often called the real axis, and the axis Oy the imaginary axis.

From Project Gutenberg

O is called the origin, and x′Ox, y′Oy the axes of x and y respectively.

From Project Gutenberg

We might invoke the initial letters of sausage to account for part of the change, but the oy remains a mystery.

From Project Gutenberg

In the British Museum copy of this number an old hand has supplied the omitted letters 'oy' and we have Mr. Hoyle.

From Project Gutenberg

As before in 31, the rotation may be resolved into a shear-pair, in planes perpendicular to Ox and Oy.

From Project Gutenberg