gamey

[gey-mee]

adjective, gam·i·er, gam·i·est.

gamy

or gam·ey

[gey-mee]

adjective, gam·i·er, gam·i·est.

having the tangy flavor or odor of game: I like the gamy taste of venison.

having the flavor or odor of game or other meat kept uncooked until slightly tainted: The roast was still edible but was slightly gamy.

plucky; spirited.

lewd or suggestive; risqué.

gross or squalid; unwholesome.

Origin of gamy

First recorded in 1835–45; game¹ + -y¹

Related formsgam·i·ly, adverbun·gam·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gamey

Contemporary Examples of gamey

The grocery chain said it was making an entry into the rabbit market after demand from shoppers for the gamey offering.
Whole Foods Wants to Feed You Cute, Furry Bunnies
Tim Mak
August 19, 2014
From time to time she unmasks herself, gamey and whipped flaunting that brownish color.
For the Love of Pâté
Molly Hannon
January 5, 2011

Historical Examples of gamey

He liked to tease Cricket, because, as he said, she was so "gamey."
Cricket at the Seashore
Elizabeth Westyn Timlow
They are nearly as gamey and quite as good eating as the muskallonge.
Days in the Open
Lathan A. Crandall
He was smart and gamey, but his spirit had nearly been broken by his tyrannical master.
The Dogs of Boytown
Walter A. Dyer
The cuisine was excellent, and the gamey meat had a relish all its own.
Our Little Polish Cousin
Florence E. Mendel
But there was more strength than he supposed in the tiring yet gamey sea-fighter.
The Boy Scouts of the Life Saving Crew
Robert Shaler

British Dictionary definitions for gamey

gamey

gamy

adjective gamier or gamiest

having the smell or flavour of game, esp high game

informal spirited; plucky; brave

Derived Formsgamily, adverbgaminess, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gamey

adj.

also gamy, 1844, "spirited, plucky," from game (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "tasting or smelling strongly" is from 1863.

gamy

adj.

see gamey.