n.
Variant: also -ey
Pronunciation: ē ; in some dialects, esp Brit, Southern, & NewEng, often i but not shown at individual entries
Function: adjective suffix
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -ig; akin to Old High German - ī g -y, Latin -icus, Greek -ikos, Sanskrit -ika
1 a : characterized by : full of <blossom y > <dirt y > <mudd y > <clay ey > b : having the character of : composed of <ic y > <wax y > c : like : like that of <hom ey > <wintr y > ― often with a disparaging connotation <stag y >
2 a : tending or inclined to <sleep y > <chatt y > b : giving occasion for (specified) action <tear y > c : performing (specified) action <curl y >