wye

Noun

wye (plural wyes)

1. The name of the Latin script letter Y/y.
   • Thus first C checks to see if ex and wye are equal. The resulting value of 1 or 0 (true or false) then is compared to the value of zee.1984 Waite, Prata & Martin, C (Computer Program Language), p. 190
   • It said, in a whispering, buzzing voice, "Gee-you-ess-ess-ay-dash-em-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-em-eye-en-gee-oh-dash-pee-eye-pee-dash-pee-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-pee-eye-en-gee-oh."2004, Will Rogers, The Stonking Steps, page 170
2. A Y-shaped object: a wye level, wye-connected. Especially a Y-shaped connection of three sections of road or railroad track.
   • A wye is used to split a single line [hose or cable] into two lines.
   • By going around the wye, a train can change direction.

Verb

wye (third-person singular simple present wyes, present participle wying or wyeing, simple past and past participle wyed)

1. (transitive) To make something into a wye (letter Y) shape.
   • When a hose line is divided into two or more lines, these lines are known as wyed lines.
2. (transitive) To reverse the direction of a train using a wye.
   • Since the train didn't have a control cab at the other end, they wyed the train to turn it around for the trip back to the city.
   • Committee contend that when these trains are wyed at Springfield, the road passenger crews are performing yard work at that point to eliminate switching by yard crews.

Proper noun capitalized: Wye

IPA/waɪ/

Wye

1. A river in Wales and England, including Powys, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, the fifth-longest in the UK.
2. A river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England, which flows into the River Derwent.
3. A river in Buckinghamshire, England, which joins the Thames at Bourne End.
4. A village in Wye with Hinxhill parish, Ashford borough, Kent, England (OS grid ref TR0546).