holly

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: hol=ly

CIDE DICTIONARY

holly, adv. 

 Wholly.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

holly, n. [OE holi, holin, AS. holen, holegn; akin to D. & G. hulst, OHG. huls hulis, W. celyn, Armor. kelen, Gael. cuilionn, Ir. cuileann. Cf. 1st Holm, Hulver.].

•  A tree or shrub of the genus Ilex. The European species (Ilex Aquifolium) is best known, having glossy green leaves, with a spiny, waved edge, and bearing berries that turn red or yellow about Michaelmas.  [1913 Webster]

  " The holly is much used to adorn churches and houses, at Christmas time, and hence is associated with scenes of good will and rejoicing. It is an evergreen tree, and has a finegrained, heavy, white wood. Its bark is used as a febrifuge, and the berries are violently purgative and emetic. The American holly is the Ilex opaca, and is found along the coast of the United States, from Maine southward."  Gray.  [1913 Webster]
•  The holm oak. See 1st Holm.  [1913 Webster]

Holly-leaved oak (Bot.), the black scrub oak. See Scrub oak. -- Holly rose (Bot.), a West Indian shrub, with showy, yellow flowers (Turnera ulmifolia). -- Sea holly (Bot.), a species of Eryngium. See Eryngium.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

holly, n. (pl. -ies)
1 an evergreen shrub, Ilex aquifolium, with prickly usu. dark-green leaves, small white flowers, and red berries.
2 its branches and foliage used as decorations at Christmas.

Idiom

holly oak a holm-oak.

Etymology

OE hole(g)n