different between icy vs stony

English

Alternative forms

• icey (rare)
• ycie (obsolete)

Etymology

ice +? -y; cf. Old English ?si?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a?si/

Adjective

icy (comparative icier, superlative iciest)

1. Pertaining to, resembling, or abounding in ice; cold; frosty.
2. Covered with ice, wholly or partially.
3. Characterized by coldness of manner; frigid; cold.
   • 2009, Sharon Kendrick, The Desert Princes Bundle: The Sheikh's English Bride

     Gone was the gleam of desire, and the teasingly provocative remarks, and Alexa realised the truth in the saying that indifference was death. His demeanour was haughty and icy towards her.

4. (US, slang) To be wearing an excessive amount of jewelry, especially of the high-quality and expensive kind.

Related terms

• icily
• iciness

Translations

References

• icy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• icy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• CyI

Middle French

Adverb

icy

1. here

Descendants

• French: ici

English

Alternative forms

• stoney (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English stony, stoni, stani, from Old English st?ni?, st?ni? (“stony, rocky”), from Proto-Germanic *stainagaz (“stony”), equivalent to stone +? -y. Cognate with Scots stany (“stony”), West Frisian stienich (“stony”), Dutch stenig (“stony, metalled”), German steinig (“stony, rocky, gravelly”), Swedish stenig (“stony, rocky, pebbly”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?st??ni/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sto?ni/
• Rhymes: -??ni

Adjective

stony (comparative stonier, superlative stoniest)

1. As hard as stone.

   Synonym: rock-hard

   Antonym: soft

2. Containing or made up of stones.

   Synonyms: pebbly, rocky, shingly

3. (figuratively) Of a person, lacking warmth and emotion.

   Synonyms: cold, cool, hard-hearted, heartless, impassive, unemotional, unfeeling

   Antonyms: passionate, warm

4. (figuratively) Of an action such as a look, showing no warmth of emotion.

   Synonyms: cold, cool, frosty, unwelcoming

   Antonyms: welcoming, warm

5. (Britain and Australia, slang) Short for stony broke: without any money.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:impoverished

Derived terms

• stonily
• stoniness
• stony coral
• stony-faced
• stonyhearted

Translations

References

• “stony, adj.”, in OED Online ?, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1917

Anagrams

• Tonys, Tyson, synto

Middle English

Alternative forms

• stoni, stani, stani?, stany, stonye

Etymology

From Old English st?ni?, from Proto-Germanic *stainagaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?st??ni?/

Adjective

stony

1. Comprised or composed of stone or rock
2. Made or built of stone or rock
3. Covered in stones or pebbles
4. Inhabiting a stony environment
5. (figuratively) emotionless; stolid
6. (medicine) hard, solid

Descendants

• English: stony
• Scots: stany

References

• “st?n?, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-10.