McCoy

American  

[muh-koi] / məˈkɔɪ /

noun

1. Usually the McCoy or the real McCoy the genuine thing or person as promised, stated, or implied.

   Those other paintings are copies, but this one is the McCoy.

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McCoy ¹ British  

/ məˈkɔɪ /

noun

1. slang the genuine person or thing (esp in the phrase the real McCoy )

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McCoy ² British  

/ məˈkɔɪ /

noun

1. Tony, full name Anthony Peter McCoy. born 1974, Northern Irish national hunt jockey: champion jockey every season since 1995/96

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Etymology

Origin of McCoy

First recorded in 1880–85; also Mackay, McKie, the clear McCoy (of liquor); of uncertain origin; hypothesized identifications with Mackay, a Scottish clan, and Kid McCoy, nickname of U.S. boxer Norman Selby (1873–1940), are unsubstantiated

Compare meaning

How does mccoy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Hatfield vs. McCoy

Example Sentences

Unluckily for McCoy, the home that had been burglarized was located on a street where he regularly rode his bicycle in a loop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Organiser Laura McCoy, who is MNH's curator of natural history, said while people could access lots of information online, "launching a website is a little bit boring".

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

McCoy said the annual event had since "gained momentum - more and more people are ready to put their time into partnering up with us, which is really lovely".

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Kansas City Chiefs: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee — Chiefs need a corner, and if Jermod McCoy is gone, Hood would be a good alternative.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

I crouched down as far as I could and turned my camera on, pointing it toward McCoy and the woman who stood with her back to me.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia