Adjacent Words

aye definitions

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Merriam Webster's

I. adverb also ay Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse ei; akin to Old English ? always, Latin aevum age, lifetime, Greek ai?n age Date: 13th century always, continually, ever <love that will aye endure — W. S. Gilbert> II. adverb also ay Etymology: perhaps from Middle English ye, yie — more at yea Date: 1576 yes <aye, aye, sir> III. noun also ay (plural ayes) Date: 1589 an affirmative vote or voter <the ayes have it>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adv. & n. (also ay) --adv. 1 archaic or dial. yes. 2 (in voting) I assent. 3 (as aye aye) Naut. a response accepting an order. --n. an affirmative answer or assent, esp. in voting. Phrases and idioms: the ayes have it the affirmative votes are in the majority. Etymology: 16th c.: prob. f. first pers. personal pron. expressing assent 2. adv. archaic ever, always. Phrases and idioms: for aye for ever. Etymology: ME f. ON ei, ey f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Aye Aye, Ay Ay, adv. [Icel. ei, ey; akin to AS. [=a], [=a]wa, always, Goth. aiws an age, Icel. [ae]fi, OHG, ?wa, L. aevum, Gr. ? an age, ?, ?, ever, always, G. je, Skr. ?va course. ?,?. Cf. Age, v., Either, a., Or, conj.] Always; ever; continually; for an indefinite time. For his mercies aye endure. --Milton. For aye, always; forever; eternally.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Aye Aye, Ay Ay, adv. [Perh. a modification of yea, or from the interjection of admiration or astonishment, OE. ei, ey, why, hey, ay, well, ah, ha. Cf. MHG. & G. ei, Dan. ej. Or perh. akin to aye ever.] Yes; yea; -- a word expressing assent, or an affirmative answer to a question. It is much used in viva voce voting in legislative bodies, etc. Note: This word is written I in the early editions of Shakespeare and other old writers.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Aye Aye, n. An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative; as, ``To call for the ayes and noes;'' ``The ayes have it.''

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

also ay(ayes) 1. Aye means yes; used in some dialects of British English. 'Do you remember your first day at school?'—'Oh aye. Yeah.' CONVENTION 2. If you vote aye, you vote in favour of something. ADV 3. The ayes are the people who vote in favour of something. ? noes N-PLURAL: the N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. ad. (Poetical.) Always, forever, evermore, continually, ceaselessly, unendingly, changelessly, unchangingly, immutably. II. ad. See ay

Moby Thesaurus

Australian ballot, Hare system, OK, acceptance, accord, acquiescence, affirmation, affirmative, affirmative attitude, affirmative voice, affirmativeness, agreed, agreement, amen, approbation, approval, assent, ballot, blessing, canvass, canvassing, casting vote, compliance, con, connivance, consent, counting heads, cumulative voting, deciding vote, division, eagerness, endorsement, enfranchisement, fagot vote, franchise, graveyard vote, hand vote, interest, list system, nay, no, nod, nod of assent, nontransferable vote, okay, permission, plebiscite, plebiscitum, plumper, plural vote, poll, polling, preferential voting, pro, promptitude, promptness, proportional representation, proxy, ratification, readiness, record vote, referendum, representation, right to vote, rising vote, sanction, say, secret ballot, show of hands, side, single vote, snap vote, straw vote, submission, suffrage, the affirmative, the negative, thumbs-up, transferable vote, ungrudgingness, unloathness, unreluctance, viva voce, voice, voice vote, vote, voting, voting right, willingness, write-in, write-in vote, yea, yea-saying, yeas and nays, yep, yes