stilly

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English

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Etymology 1

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Adjective

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stilly (comparative stillier, superlative stilliest)

  1. silent; calm
    • 1795, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Eolian Harp, lines 11–12:
      The stilly murmur of the distant Sea
      Tells us of silence.
    • 1828, Various, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 12,[1]:
      The dead--in holy, stilly peace, the sacred dead repose, Afar from earth's turmoil and grief, and all of sick'ning woes; From racking pain, and withering pride, and avarice's care, Secure they rest in solitude, unaw'd by sin or snare.
    • 1879, Anthony Trollope, Thackeray[2]:
      Long was the darkness, Lonely and stilly.
    • 1902, Jack London, A Daughter of the Snows[3]:
      Crickets sang of nights in the stilly cabins, and in the sunshine mosquitoes crept from out hollow logs [] .
    • 1996, Stephen King, chapter 4, in The Green Mile, Pocket Books edition:
      [] Marjorie used Central to call as many of her neighbors that were also on the exchange as she could, telling them of the disaster which had fallen like a lightning-stroke out of a clear sky, knowing that each call would produce overlapping ripples, like pebbles tossed rapidly into a stilly pond.

Etymology 2

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From still +‎ -ly.

Adverb

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stilly (comparative more stilly, superlative most stilly)

  1. While still and calm.
    • 1868, George A. Lawrence, Guy Livingstone;[4]:
      She passed away very stilly and painlessly.
    • 1902, Mary Johnston, Audrey[5]:
      The river, too, was colored, and every tree was like a torch burning stilly in the quiet of the evening.
    • 1921, S.R. Crockett, Bog-Myrtle and Peat[6]:
      When she arrived at the white boat which floated so stilly on the morning glitter of the water, only just stirred by a breeze from the south, she stepped at once on board.