howdy

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhaʊdi/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aʊdi

Etymology 1

Clipping of how-d'ye-(do) (how do you do).

Interjection

howdy

  1. (chiefly Texas, informal) An informal greeting.
    Howdy folks, and welcome to our ninth annual chili cookoff!
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Sranan Tongo: odi
Translations

Verb

howdy (third-person singular simple present howdies, present participle howdying, simple past and past participle howdied)

  1. (transitive) To greet informally, especially by saying "howdy"
    • 2016, Brynn Bonner, Dead in a Flash, page 249:
      I stood up for the kid and it got ugly, with accusations being thrown in both directions. So the sheriff and I weren't exactly on howdying terms when that fire happened.

Etymology 2

Unknown.

Noun

howdy (plural howdies)

  1. (Scotland) A wife.
  2. (Scotland) A midwife.