my
1 Americanpronoun
interjection
determiner
-
of, belonging to, or associated with the speaker or writer (me)
my own ideas
do you mind my smoking?
-
used in various forms of address
my lord
my dear boy
-
used in various exclamations
my goodness!
interjection
abbreviation
abbreviation
combining form
Grammar
See me.
Usage
What does my- mean? My- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “muscle.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.My- comes from the Greek mŷs, meaning “muscle” and “mouse.” Mouse? You read that right. Discover why at our entry for muscle!My- is a variant of myo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use myo- article.
Etymology
Origin of my
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English mī, variant of mīn, Old English mīn; mine 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I love my job but it's got to the point where you've got to give yourself a bit of a pep talk in the morning because of what might happen," she said.
From BBC
"That feels like the ultimate slap in the face because the NHS inadvertently caused my infertility," she says.
From BBC
"What frightens myself and my husband is what I think has happened with Fairmont," she said.
From BBC
"My sister and I both wanted to be footballers, and for that my parents -- especially my mother -- had to endure bitter words," said the 20-year-old, who started playing at the age of five.
From Barron's
"All my problems, I leave them outside the kitchen and walk in fresh."
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
