Main meanings of y in English

abbreviation

• Year(s)

  ‘orbital period (Pluto): 248.5y’

nounYs, Y's

• 1The twenty-fifth letter of the alphabet.

  ‘Created by two of today’s wittiest, most imaginative minds, The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z! is a sheer delight from A to Z.’

  ‘Find fun games, crafts, stories, and other educational activities all related to the letter Y.’

  1. 1.1Denoting the next after X in a set of items, categories, etc.
     ‘What Comes Next After Generation X? ... I would say, generation Y.’
     ‘After Boomers and X's, Here Come the Y's.’
  2. 1.2Denoting a second unknown or unspecified person or thing.
     ‘the claim that chemical X causes birth defect Y’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Y denotes a second unknown or unspecified person or thing: the claim that chemical X causes birth defect Y.’
     • ‘In mathematics, Y is the second in a set of two or three unknowns comprising x, y, and z.’
  3. 1.3usually "y"The second unknown quantity in an algebraic expression, usually the dependent variable.
     ‘By convention, we call the dependent variable y.’
     ‘In algebra, a variable is a symbol used to represent any number. For example, in this equation:. 2(x+y) = 2x + 2y. x and y are variables.’
  4. 1.4usually "y"Denoting the secondary or vertical axis in a system of coordinates.
     in combination ‘the y -axis’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Cartesian coordinate system with the circle of radius 2 centered at the origin marked in red. The equation of the circle is x2 + y2 = 4..’
     • ‘The horizontal axis is normally labeled x, and the vertical axis is normally labeled y.’

• 2"Y"A shape like that of a capital Y.

  in combination ‘rows of tiny Y-shaped motifs’

abbreviation

• 1Yen.

  ‘Y140’

• 2North American informal A YMCA or YWCA hostel.

  ‘Scott was living at the Y’

  More example sentences

  • ‘With the intensity of the heat and the humidity becoming all a little too much, I came back to the Y, for a swim and for a sleep.’
  • ‘It’s Fun To Stay At The Y in HK.’

• The chemical element yttrium.