Gee

Part of speech: interjection

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒiː/

Definitions

1. A word used to express surprise or excitement ; an instruction to a horse or ox to turn right ; the seventh letter of the English alphabet
2. An exclamation showing strong feeling or joy ; a signal given to animals to guide them to the right direction ; a symbol representing the letter g in writing
3. A term uttered to convey astonishment or approval ; a verbal cue for a draft animal to change direction to the right ; a character in the alphabet used in spelling and writing

Etymology: "Gee" is one of those interjections whose origin the record cannot pin down. The most widely cited suggestion is that it shortens "Jesus," as in an oath, which would fit its use as a mild exclamation of surprise or excitement. The name of the letter G, which comes to English through Old English and Latin, is a separate story: the letter's name simply gave the word its spelling as a letter. Its use as a command to turn a horse or ox right is a different sense, and its origin is unknown. Other suggestions have been offered, but none is established. One proposal links the word to an Irish slang term for the female genitals, with a comparison to an Irish word meaning "fork" or "crotch." Because this is speculative, it should be treated as a possibility rather than a fact. The origin of the horse command is likewise unknown, so the three senses of the word may have separate histories.

Synonyms: gosh, wow, golly, gee whiz, oh