v. t. To throw sidewise with a jerk; to fling; as, to shy a stone; to shy a slipper. T. Hughes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Shier r Shyer; superl. Shiest or Shyest. ] [ OE. schey, skey, sceouh, AS. sceóh; akin to Dan. sky, Sw. skygg, D. schuw, MHG. schiech, G. scheu, OHG. sciuhen to be or make timid. Cf. Eschew. ] 1. Easily frightened; timid; as, a shy bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

The horses of the army . . . were no longer shy, but would come up to my very feet without starting. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar approach. [ 1913 Webster ]

What makes you so shy, my good friend? There's nobody loves you better than I. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

The embarrassed look of shy distress
And maidenly shamefacedness. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Cautious; wary; suspicious. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the preparation of medicines. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of thier successors. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Inadequately supplied; short; lacking; as, the team is shy two players.[ Slang ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

5. (Poker), owing money to the pot; -- in cases where an opponent's bet has exceeded a player's available stake or chips, but the player chooses to continue playing the hand before adding the required bet to the pot. [ Slang ] [ PJC ]

To fight shy. See under Fight, v. i. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Shied p. pr. & vb. n. Shying. ] [ From Shy, a. ] To start suddenly aside through fright or suspicion; -- said especially of horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A sudden start aside, as by a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A side throw; a throw; a fling. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

If Lord Brougham gets a stone in his hand, he must, it seems, have a shy at somebody. Punch. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a shy or timid manner; not familiarly; with reserve. [ Written also shily. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being shy. [ Written also shiness. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Frequency in heavenly contemplation is particularly important to prevent a shyness bewtween God and thy soul. Baxter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Bashfulness; reserve; coyness; timidity; diffidence. See Bashfulness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Perh. from G. scheisse excrement. ] A trickish knave; one who carries on any business, especially legal business, in a mean and dishonest way. [ Slang, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]