name · noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/waɪ/
homophone: Y
/ˈwaɪ/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
A river in Wales and England, including Powys, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, the fifth-longest in the UK.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
name
Meaning 2
A river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England, which flows into the River Derwent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
name
Meaning 3
A river in Buckinghamshire, England, which joins the Thames at Bourne End.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
A village in Wye with Hinxhill parish, Ashford borough, Kent, England (OS grid ref TR0546).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The name of the Latin script letter Y/y.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A Y-shaped object: a wye level, wye-connected. Especially a Y-shaped connection of three sections of road or railroad track.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
A wye is used to split a single line [hose or cable] into two lines.
By going around the wye, a train can change direction.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To make something into a wye (letter Y) shape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
When a hose line is divided into two or more lines, these lines are known as wyed lines.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To reverse the direction of a train using a wye.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
Examples
Since the train didn't have a control cab at the other end, they wyed the train to turn it around for the trip back to the city.
Committee contend that when these trains are wyed at Springfield, the road passenger crews are performing yard work at that point to eliminate switching by yard crews.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
the 25th letter of the Roman alphabet
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Y
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: letter, letter of the alphabet, alphabetic character
History
Etymology
From Brythonic; compare Welsh Gwy. Lye and Bosworth instead suggest Old English wæg (“wave”).
Attested as wi c. 1200. Of uncertain origin. Perhaps borrowed from Old French ui or gui.
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
Уай
(Uaj)
— the river
Irish:
an Ghwy
— the river
Welsh:
Gwy
— the river
Alabama:
wàyka
— name of the letter Y, y
Arabic:
إِي يُونَانِيَّة
(ʔī yūnāniyya)
— name of the letter Y, y
Arabic:
وَايْ
(wāy)
— name of the letter Y, y
Asturian:
ye
— name of the letter Y, y
Asturian:
y griega
— name of the letter Y, y
Basque:
larriz
— name of the letter Y, y
Bengali:
ওয়াই
(ōẇai)
— name of the letter Y, y
Bulgarian:
и́грек
(ígrek)
— name of the letter Y, y
Burmese:
ဝိုင်
(wuing)
— name of the letter Y, y
Catalan:
i grega
— name of the letter Y, y
Czech:
ypsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Dutch:
Griekse ij
— name of the letter Y, y
Dutch:
i-grec
— name of the letter Y, y
Dutch:
ypsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Esperanto:
ipsilono
— name of the letter Y, y
Faroese:
seinna i
— name of the letter Y, y
Finnish:
yy
— name of the letter Y, y
French:
i grec
— name of the letter Y, y
Galician:
i grego
— name of the letter Y, y
German:
Ypsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
German:
Y grec
— name of the letter Y, y
Greek:
γουάι
(gouái)
— name of the letter Y, y
Hawaiian:
ieta
— name of the letter Y, y
Hindi:
वाई
(vāī)
— name of the letter Y, y
Hungarian:
ipszilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Icelandic:
ypsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Ido:
ye
— name of the letter Y, y
Indonesian:
ye
— name of the letter Y, y
Indonesian:
igrek
— name of the letter Y, y
Irish:
yé
— name of the letter Y, y
Italian:
i greca
— name of the letter Y, y
Italian:
ipsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Japanese:
ワイ
(wai)
— name of the letter Y, y
Korean:
와이
(wai)
— name of the letter Y, y
Latin:
ȳ
— name of the letter Y, y
Latin:
i graeca
— name of the letter Y, y
Malay:
wai
— name of the letter Y, y
Marathi:
वाय
(vāy)
— name of the letter Y, y
Occitan:
i grèga
— name of the letter Y, y
Persian:
ایگرک
(igrek)
— name of the letter Y, y
Polish:
igrek
— name of the letter Y, y
Portuguese:
ípsilon
— name of the letter Y, y
Portuguese:
i grego
— name of the letter Y, y
Romanian:
i grec
— name of the letter Y, y
Russian:
уа́й
(uáj)
— name of the letter Y, y
Russian:
уа́й
(uáj)
— name of the letter Y, y
Russian:
и́грек
(ígrek)
— name of the letter Y, y
Russian:
ипсило́н
(ipsilón)
— name of the letter Y, y
