homeboy

American  

[hohm-boi] / ˈhoʊmˌbɔɪ /

noun

Slang.

• homeboys
  plural

1. a person from the same locality as oneself.

2. a close friend or fellow gang member.

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homeboy British  

/ ˈhəʊmˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a close friend

2. a person from one's home town or neighbourhood

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Usage

What does homeboy mean? Homeboy is a slang term for a close male friend. It can refer to a boy or a man. The word homegirl is used in the same way to refer to a close female friend. Shortened, gender-neutral versions of these terms include homie and homey, which are perhaps even more commonly used. All of these terms can be used to refer to a friend, as in This is my homeboy Russel, or as a term of address for one, as in Hey, homeboy! These terms are all associated with urban and hip hop culture and are primarily used by members of African American and Latinx communities in the U. S. They commonly refer to a close friend who’s from the same neighborhood. In some cases, the words are used to refer to a fellow gang member. However, the terms have entered mainstream use and usually simply refer to a close friend. Homeboy is frequently used with a possessive pronoun, as in my homeboy. Example: I’m having a night out with just me and my homeboys.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• homegirl
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• homeboys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of homeboy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; home + boy

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

homeboy homeboys

I remember I was staying in Atlanta for a while and my homeboy got his teeth knocked out, his tooth got knocked out playing ball.

From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2024

“I remembered my homeboy that lived in the neighborhood. I had to go through some woods to his house with the album,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

Dave has created, with his Day 1 homeboy, some of the most celebrated music videos of the last decade and earned the bona fides to prove it.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2022

I had a homeboy whose cousin lived out in Riverside, and he told us about Metro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2022

I wasn't ready to quit on my homeboy yet, but he was pushing me, and pushing hard.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

I played that spot more than the employees, initially rolling solo, then bringing all the homeboys.

From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2023

“I just remember me and my homeboys getting in the car and going to down to Canal Street,” Mathieu said.

From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2022

But then one day Rick and one of his homeboys moseyed down to a local park where a man was holding tennis clinics.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 4, 2019

"I've lost a lot of people in my life — homeboys, uncles, friends, family members. Losing her is a pain that's still there," Broadus says, his voice cracking with emotion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2018

The homeboys hanging on the corners keep trying to step to Beatriz.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles