holly

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See also: Holly and holy

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English

leaves and berries of European holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English holly, holi, holie, a shortened variation of holin, holyn (> English dialectal hollen, holm), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English holeġn, holen (holly; prince, protector), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *hulisaz (butcher's broom), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *ḱol- (thorn, awn; a kind of thorny plant; prickly), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (to cut). Cognate with Scots holin, hollin, holyn (holly), Dutch hulst (holly), German Hulst (holly), French houx ("holly" < Germanic), Danish hylver (holly), Welsh celyn (holly), Russian ко́лос (kólos, ear of wheat), Albanian kalli (straw, chaff), Latin culmus (stalk, stem), Sanskrit कटम्ब (kaṭamba, arrow), Old Church Slavonic класъ (klasŭ, ear of grain).

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value UK is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈhɒli/
  • Rhymes: -ɒli
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value US is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈhɑli/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

holly (countable and uncountable, plural hollies)

  1. Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.
  2. The wood from this tree.
  3. (with a qualifier) Any of several unrelated plant species likened to Ilex because of their prickly, evergreen foliage and/or round, bright-red berries

Derived terms

Translations


Middle English

Etymology 1

Adjective

holly

  1. Alternative form of holy (sacred)

References

Etymology 2

Adjective

holly

  1. Alternative form of holy (porous)

References