1. An object for children to play with.
2. Something of little importance; a trifle.
3. An amusement; a pastime: thought of the business as a toy.
4. A small ornament; a bauble.
5. A diminutive thing or person.
6. A dog of a very small breed or of a variety smaller than the standard variety of its breed.
7. Scots. A loose covering for the head, formerly worn by women.
8. Chiefly Southern U.S. A shooter marble.

1. To amuse oneself idly; trifle: a cat toying with a mouse.
2. To treat something casually or without seriousness: toyed with the idea of writing a play. See synonyms at flirt.

[Middle English toye, amorous play, a piece of fun.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.