Etymology

From boie, 'servant, commoner, knave, boy', perhaps related to proper names Bōia, Bōfa, Bōba, from ; akin to boi, 'young gentleman', bōve, 'boy, knave', boeve 'boy' (mod. boef, 'rogue, knave'), buobe, 'boy' ( dialectal Bube, 'boy, lad, knave', Bueb 'boy', Bouf 'id.'), bófi 'knave, rogue'; and for the name, prop. name Bōvo and prop. name Boabo.

Noun

1. A male servant.

   When the 'dipenda' (independence movement) in Belgian Congo turned violent, the white colonisators' often materially privileged black domestic boys were mistrusted and often abused as collaborators.

2. A non-white slave or labourer; a male African-American of any age.
3. A lower-class or disreputable man; a worthless person.
   • 1608, William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act I Scene 4:

     Dost thou call me fool, boy?

4. A young male, usually a child or adolescent.

   The boys were playing kickball in the mud.

   Steve is a boy of 16.

5. A man of any age, used as a friendly diminutive, or of a man who is merely younger than the speaker.

   Whatever else you say about him, the boy can play.

   1977: I like the boy. — Australian entertainer Bert Newton, to Mohammed Ali at the 1977 Logie Awards, famously unaware of how insulting this is under the US usage below http://www.abc.net.au/thingo/txt/s1088100.htm

6. An adult male, particularly when used by straight women or gay men to refer to someone considered attractive.
7. Male (usually adult) friend; mainly used in the plural: boys.

   I’m going out for a few drinks with the boys.

   Me and my boy grew up together in Southside.

8. A proud parent's son, regardless of age.

   That's my boy.

9. A caring owner's pet or working animal, regardless of age.

   Here, boys, heel; yes, Bobby, show the puppies how, good boy!

Synonyms

• brat
• knave
• lad
• squirt
• youngster
• youth
• See also Wikisaurus:boy

Interjection

1. Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.

   "Boy, that was close!"

   "Boy, that tastes good!"

   "Boy, I wish I could go to Canada!"