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
1
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."
2
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 notesIn 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.
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Word forms
- Plural
- Davies, Davys
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Class of 1815
Davy joined the language around 1815.
See the full Class of 1815 →
Rhymes for Davy
See all rhymes for Davy →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.
