snelly

English

Etymology

From Middle English snelly, snellych, snellik, snellich, from Old English snellīċe (“rapidly, quickly, with activity”), from snellīċ (“moving quickly; swift”), equivalent to snell +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsnɛli/

Adverb

snelly (comparative more snelly, superlative most snelly)

1. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) quickly; sharply; acutely; coldly
   • 1811, Charles Gray, The Minstrel:

     The snaw drives snelly through the dale.

2. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, in speech) sharply; severely; tartly; curtly