toy: [14] Nothing is known for certain about the origins of toy. It originally meant ‘amorous dalliance’ (‘So said he, and forbore not glance or toy, of amorous intent, well understood of Eve’, Milton, Paradise Lost 1667), traces of which survive in the verbal sense ‘amuse oneself idly’. ‘Plaything’ first appeared towards the end of the 16th century.
toy (n.)
c. 1300, "amorous playing, sport," later "piece of fun or entertainment" (c. 1500), "thing of little value, trifle" (1520s), and "thing for a child to play with" (1580s). Of uncertain origin, and there may be more than one word here. Compare Middle Dutch toy, Dutch tuig "tools, apparatus; stuff, trash," in speeltuig "play-toy, plaything;" German Zeug "stuff, matter, tools," Spielzeug "plaything, toy;" Danish t?i, Swedish tyg "stuff, gear." Applied as an adjective to things of diminutive size, especially dogs, from 1806. Toy-boy is from 1981.
toy (v.)
"deal carelessly (with), trifle," 1520s, from toy (n.) in its older sense.
If he be merie and toy with any,
His wife will frowne, and words geve manye.
["Song of the Bachelor's Life," 16c.]
Related: Toyed; toying.
例文
1. A toy store has marked down the Sonic Hedgehog computer game.
ある玩具店がコンピュータゲーム『ソニック?ザ?ヘッジホッグ』の販売価格を下げた。
2.Retooling，or recasting new toy moulds，is a slow and expensive process.
機械の交換や新しいおもちゃの金型の再鋳造は時間と財力を費やす過程である。
3. Toy manufactures began promoting some of their products on television.
玩具メーカーがテレビで製品の販売を始めた。
4.We rap the manufactures on their knuckles if the toy is shoddy.
おもちゃの品質が劣悪であれば、メーカーを痛烈に非難します。
5.I think we have found a niche in the toy market.