nounplural noun Ys, plural noun Y's
(also y)
1The twenty-fifth letter of the alphabet.
‘Created by two of todays 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.’
- 1.1Denoting 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.’
- 1.2Denoting a second unknown or unspecified person or thing.‘the claim that chemical X causes birth defect Y’
- ‘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.’
- 1.3usually yThe 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.’
- 1.4usually yDenoting the secondary or vertical axis in a system of coordinates.in combination ‘the y-axis’
- ‘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.’
2YA shape like that of a capital Y.
- ‘rows of tiny Y-shaped motifs’
abbreviation
1Yen.
- ‘Y140’
2North American informal A YMCA or YWCA hostel.
- ‘Scott was living at the Y’
- ‘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.’
- ‘Its Fun To Stay At The Y in HK.’
The chemical element yttrium.
abbreviation
Year(s)
- ‘orbital period (Pluto): 248.5y’
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