noun
appy
A-pee
noun
1
A small dish served before the main course; a casual short form of "appetizer."
"We split a few appies while we waited for our table."
"The bar has a happy hour with half-price appies."
2
A casual, informal short form of "appendix," "appendicitis," or "appendectomy" (as in "my appy burst" or "I had my appy out").
"He was rushed to hospital with a suspected appy."
"She's recovering fine after her appy last week."
How to Use Appy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA shortened, informal nickname — either for a starter dish or for anything to do with the appendix.
Common mistake
Context decides the meaning — "appy" at a restaurant means a starter, but "appy" in a hospital conversation almost always means the appendix.
When to use it
Very casual; the food sense is common in Canadian and some US restaurant slang, while the medical sense is informal patient/hospital talk.
Word Forms
appies plural, appys plural
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He was rushed to hospital with a suspected _____.
Etymology
Formed by clipping a longer word — "appetizer" or "appendix/appendicitis/appendectomy" — down to "appy" and adding the informal "-y" ending.