noun Uncommon

Davy

DAY-vee

Davy (noun) means Short for Davy lamp, a miner’s safety lamp designed to burn without igniting flammable gases underground. Example: “Older mining museums still display a rusted davy hanging on the wall.”

noun

Short for Davy lamp, a miner’s safety lamp designed to burn without igniting flammable gases underground.

"Older mining museums still display a rusted davy hanging on the wall."

An informal or dialectal word for an affidavit, a sworn written statement.

"He signed a davy swearing he had witnessed the accident."

How to use Davy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a miner’s safety lamp named for its inventor, or an old informal term for a sworn statement.

When to use it

Both non-name senses are dated and mostly found in older or regional English.

Word forms

Davies plural, Davys plural, davies plural, davys plural, davies plural

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Older mining museums still display a rusted _____ hanging on the wall.

Etymology

The lamp sense is named after its inventor, the chemist Humphry Davy, who developed it in 1815. As a nickname for David, "Davy" is simply a diminutive form of the name.

· First attested 1815

Class of 1815 Davy joined the language around 1815.

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Rhymes for Davy

navy wavy heavy gravy

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Frequently asked questions

What does “Davy” mean?

The word “Davy” means short for Davy lamp, a miner’s safety lamp designed to burn without igniting flammable gases underground. In plain terms, either a miner’s safety lamp named for its inventor, or an old informal term for a sworn statement.

How do you pronounce “Davy”?

“Davy” is pronounced DAY-vee (/ˈdeɪvi/ in IPA).

How do you use “Davy” in a sentence?

Here is “Davy” used in a sentence: “Older mining museums still display a rusted davy hanging on the wall.”

What part of speech is “Davy”?

“Davy” is a noun.

Where does the word “Davy” come from?

The word “Davy” dates back to around 1815. The lamp sense is named after its inventor, the chemist Humphry Davy, who developed it in 1815. As a nickname for David, "Davy" is simply a diminutive form of the name.

Is “Davy” a common word?

“Davy” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “Davy” have?

“Davy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: short for Davy lamp, a miner’s safety lamp designed to burn without igniting flammable gases underground.