my

¹

[ mahy ]

pronoun

1. (a form of the possessive case of I used as an attributive adjective):

   My soup is cold.

interjection

1. Also (used as an exclamation of mild surprise or dismay):

   My, what a big house this is! My-my, how old he looks!

my-

²

1. variant of myo- before some vowels:

   myalgia.

MY

¹

abbreviation for

1. motor yacht

my-

²

combining_form

1. See myo-
   a variant of myo-

my

³

the internet domain name for

1. Malaysia

my

⁴

/ maɪ /

determiner

1. of, belonging to, or associated with the speaker or writer (me)

   do you mind my smoking?

   my own ideas

2. used in various forms of address

   my dear boy

   my lord

3. used in various exclamations

   my goodness!

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise, awe, etc

   my, how you've grown!

Grammar Note

See me.

Word History and Origins

Origin of my¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English mī, variant of mīn, Old English mīn; mine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of my¹

C12 mī, variant of Old English mīn when preceding a word beginning with a consonant

Example Sentences

Elsewhere, she tells her inamorata, “It does not matter if you elude my arms/my dear, when thought alone can imprison you.”

From The Daily Beast

But instead of a witty pop song, we have yet more woe-is-me-feel-my-pain from an overpaid, over-cosseted celebrity.

From The Daily Beast

Arab-My 1st mother language is Arabic; My Ethnic background is Arab.

From The Daily Beast

Like, clap-my-hands-together-in-schoolgirl-like-glee over the moon to see it.

From The Daily Beast

Save-my-show petitions and campaigns can only do so much to convince executives that a low-rated series deserves reviving.

From The Daily Beast

Stella-my-niece opened her mouth showing astonishment and very pretty teeth.

From Project Gutenberg

Jehosophat wished he were as small as Hop-o'-my-Thumb, so that he could creep through the keyhole and never be seen at all.

From Project Gutenberg

"Now, you wait and see if someone doesn't try to run off with him before we get home," said Stella-my-niece.

From Project Gutenberg

Then she pointed to a slim object propped against the seat between Stella-my-niece's blue skirt and my own striped garments.

From Project Gutenberg

“Heathcote, the weather is still cool, and we have all been talking of a grand Follow-my-leader run;” began Newland.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use my-

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.

Examples of my-

An example of a word you may have seen that features my- is myatonia, meaning “deficient muscle tone.”

We know my- means “muscle.” What about –atonia? It’s based on atonia (also atony), “lack of tone or energy.” Myatonia, then, literally translates to “lack of muscle tone or energy.” Learn more about atonia at our entry for the word.

What are some words that use the combining form my-?

• myalgia
• myasthenia
• myatrophy

What are some other forms that my- may be commonly confused with?

• myel-
• myelo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters my- is necessarily using the combining form my- to denote “muscle,” e.g., myopic or myriad.

Break it down!

The noun asthenia means “lack or loss of strength; weakness.” With that in mind, what would a patient with myasthenia be experiencing?