Ahoy

Origin

From "a-hoy"; 'hoy' being a Middle English greeting dating back to the fourteenth century.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-aho1.htm

Full definition of ahoy

Interjection

1. (nautical) Used to hail a ship, a boat or a person, or to attract attention.
• 1751: While he was thus occupied, a voice, still more uncouth than the former, bawled aloud, ‘Ho! the house, a-hoy!’, ''The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, Tobias Smollett.
• 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 7, I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. … The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.

Usage notes

Traditionally, when used from a ship to hail an approaching boat, the standard responses are:

"aye aye", if a commissioned officer is in the boat

"no no", if no officer is in the boat

name of ship, if the captain of another ship is in the boat

"flag" if an admiral is in the boat.

Derived terms

• land ahoy
• ship ahoy
• ahoj (Czech, Slovak greeting)

Verb

1. To hail with a cry of "ahoy".

Anagrams

• hoya