Holly

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈhÉ’li/
• Rhymes: -É’li
• US IPA: /ˈhÉ‘li/

Origin

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-Germanic *hulisaz ("butcher's broom"), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱol- ("thorn, awn; a kind of thorny plant; prickly"), from 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 колос (kolos, "ear of wheat"), Albanian kalli ("straw, chaff"), Sanskrit कटम्ब (kaṭamba, "arrow"), Old Church Slavonic класъ (klasŭ, "ear of grain").

Full definition of holly

Noun

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

• false holly
• holly-leaved oak
• holly olive
• holly osmanthus
• holly rose
• Hollywood
• sea holly