bandy

American  

[ban-dee] / ˈbæn di /

verb (used with object)

bandied, bandying

1. to pass from one to another or back and forth; give and take; trade; exchange.

   to bandy blows; to bandy words.

   Synonyms:

   barter, swap, interchange, reciprocate

2. to throw or strike to and fro or from side to side, as a ball in tennis.

3. to circulate freely.

   to bandy gossip.

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adjective

1. (of legs) having a bend or crook outward; bowed.

   a new method for correcting bandy legs.

noun

plural

bandies

1. an early form of tennis.

2. Chiefly British. (formerly) hockey or shinny.

3. Obsolete. a hockey or shinny stick.

bandy British  

/ ˈbændɪ /

adjective

1. Also: bandy-legged.  having legs curved outwards at the knees

2. (of legs) curved outwards at the knees

3. informal to amaze or astound

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verb

1. to exchange (words) in a heated or hostile manner

2. to give and receive (blows)

3. (often foll by about) to circulate (a name, rumour, etc)

4. to throw or strike to and fro; toss about

noun

1. an early form of hockey, often played on ice

2. a stick, curved at one end, used in the game of bandy

3. an old form of tennis

Other Word Forms

• bandiness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of bandy

1570–80; perhaps < Spanish bandear to conduct, bandy, originally help, serve as member of a band of men. See band ¹

Explanation

Bandy is a verb that means to toss many ideas around without focusing on just one. If you've ever brainstormed, you know what this is like — you bandy about different ideas until you find one that works. Bandy also means to exchange blows, like in a professional fight. As a skilled heavyweight boxer, you are known to bandy with your opponent for several minutes before you knock him out. Bandy comes from the Middle French word bander which means "to strike back and forth." These days it's also used as a more general term to describe tossing or hitting any ball back and forth.

Example Sentences

"People bandy about those terms all the time, and it's ridiculous," he told the LA Times in May.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

I’m staggered at the stupidity of people who bandy around dangerous words without having looked them up in the dictionary.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2024

Self-identified light workers bandy about the concept of twin flames and profess that cumulus cloud tufts disguise space ships.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2023

"He wouldn't just bandy words about. It was on the inside, it was like a core inside him," she said.

From Reuters • Nov. 25, 2023

Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling