Found 1 items, similar to To fight shy.
English → English (gcide) Definition: To fight shy Shy \Shy\ (sh[imac]), a. [Compar. Shier (sh[imac]"[~e]r) or Shyer; superl. Shiest or Shyest.] [OE. schey, skey, sceouh, AS. sce['o]h; 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] Fight \Fight\ (f[imac]t), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fought (f[add]t); p. pr. & vb. n. Fighting.] [OE. fihten, fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw. f["a]kta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.] 1. To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against. [1913 Webster] You do fight against your country's foes. --Shak. [1913 Webster] To fight with thee no man of arms will deign. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance. [1913 Webster] To fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at close quarters; to keep out of reach. [1913 Webster]