holly en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈhɔle/ (Scotland)
- /ˈhɑli/ (US)
- /-lɪ/ (Scotland)
- /ˈhɒli/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /-li/ (Scotland)
- /ˈhɔlɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
Etymology
From Middle English holly, holi, holie, a shortened variation of holin, holyn (> English dialectal hollen, holm), from Old English holeġn, holen (“holly; prince, protector”), from Proto-West Germanic *hulis (“holly”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat, break”). Cognates 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”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.
Have a tree or two the witches particularly like, such as the alder, larch, cypress and hemlock; then, to counteract any possible evil effects, there must be a holly, yew, hazel, elder, mountain ash or juniper.
1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 273:We'll deck the halls with boughs of holly.
- (countable, uncountable) The wood from this tree.
- (countable, uncountable, with a qualifier) Any of several not closely related plant species likened to Ilex because of their prickly, evergreen foliage and/or round, bright-red berries
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hollies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
winterberry holly · Christmas holly · Singapore holly · holly-leaved barberry · deciduous holly · knee holly · Hollybush · holly osmanthus · Holly Hills · European holly · holly-lily · holly oak · inkberry holly · holly blue · Holly Hill · holly olive · holly bay · holly laurel · common holly · holly-leaved cherry · desert holly · Japanese holly · Hollywood · California holly · holly-leaved oak · swamp holly · American holly · sea holly · Mount Holly · hollylike · mountain holly · holly-leaf oak · Holly Oak · holly berry · Holly Springs · holly barberry · Holywell · holly-berry · holly boy · Michigan holly · hollied · false holly · holly rose · English holly
Translations (92)
de Hülsdorn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sva ბა̈რცხილ (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ga crann cuilinn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ru остроли́ст (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sk cezmína (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · tr çobanpüskülü (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sh božíkovina (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ja 西洋柊 (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · nrf housse (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ro ilice (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Hülse (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ga cuileann (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · lt bugienis (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ro laur (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · no kristtorn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Hulse (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Stechhülse (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · la acrifolium (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · br kelenn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · cmn 冬青 (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · oc grifol (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · oc grefuèlh (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Stechpalme (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · frp agriblon (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · kw kelynnen (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · eu gorosti (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · pl ostrokrzew (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · nl hulst (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · es acebo (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · grc κήλαστρος (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · gd craobh-chuilinn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · it agrifoglio (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · nv didzéłchííʼ (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ka ბაძგი (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ja 犬黄楊 (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sl bodíka (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · bg джел (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · et astelpõõsas (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ja 黐の木 (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · hy փշարմավ (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · cy celynen (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · qu wayusa (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ca grèvol (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ang holen (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · bg бодлива зеленика (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Ilex (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · vec spergol (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · gl xardón (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · qu asiwu (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · el ίλεξ (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · de Hulst (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · gl acivro (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sc alase (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · et iileks (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · az şümşə (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sc golosti (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · fur rafacon (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · scn addaurufogghiu (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sq ashe (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · pt azevinho (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · xmf ბარცხინი (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ka ჭყორი (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sc olosti (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · gd crann-cuilinn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ota پرنال (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · eo ilekso (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · fr houx (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · cy celyn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ar بَهَشِيَّة (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · oc agreu (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · kw kelyn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sc bolostru (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sh божи́ковина (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · tl asebo (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · chr ᎤᏍᏓᏍᏗ (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · vec agrifoi (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · uk па́дуб (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · hu magyal (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · sv järnek (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ru па́дуб (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · az pirkal (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · fa خاس (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · da kristtorn (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ar إِيلِكْس (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · xmf ბაძგი (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · io ilexo (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · cs cesmína (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · xmf ბარცხელი (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · ast acebu (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · fi orjanlaakeri (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · oc agrèvol (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex) · gd cuileann (any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Ilex)