To fight shy

Shy \Shy\ (sh[imac]), a. [Compar. {Shier} (sh[imac]"[~e]r) or
   {Shyer}; superl. {Shiest} or {Shyest}.] [OE. schey, skey,
   sceouh, AS. sce['o]h; akin to Dan. sky, Sw. skygg, D. schuw,
   MHG. schiech, G. scheu, OHG. sciuhen to be or make timid. Cf.
   {Eschew}.]
   1. Easily frightened; timid; as, a shy bird.
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            The horses of the army . . . were no longer shy, but
            would come up to my very feet without starting.
                                                  --Swift.
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   2. Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar approach.
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            What makes you so shy, my good friend? There's
            nobody loves you better than I.       --Arbuthnot.
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            The embarrassed look of shy distress
            And maidenly shamefacedness.          --Wordsworth.
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   3. Cautious; wary; suspicious.
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            I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the
            preparation of medicines.             --Boyle.
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            Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of
            thier successors.                     --Sir H.
                                                  Wotton.
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   4. Inadequately supplied; short; lacking; as, the team is shy
      two players.[Slang]
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   5. (Poker), owing money to the pot; -- in cases where an
      opponent's bet has exceeded a player's available stake or
      chips, but the player chooses to continue playing the hand
      before adding the required bet to the pot. [Slang]
      [PJC]

   {To fight shy}. See under {Fight}, v. i.
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Fight \Fight\ (f[imac]t), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fought}
   (f[add]t); p. pr. & vb. n. {Fighting}.] [OE. fihten, fehten,
   AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw.
   f[aum]kta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare
   to fight, pugnus fist.]
   1. To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in
      single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an
      enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; --
      followed by with or against.
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            You do fight against your country's foes. --Shak.
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            To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.
                                                  --Milton.
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   2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to
      contend; to strive; to make resistance.
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   {To fight shy}, to avoid meeting fairly or at close quarters;
      to keep out of reach.
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