English Explanatory Dictionary

holey

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having, or being full of, holes.

Pronunciation

/ˈhəʊl.li/ [ˈhɒʊli] [ˈhɒʊɫ.li] /ˈhəʊli/ /ˈhoʊli/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-holey.wav

Word forms

holey holier holiest

Etymology

From Middle English holy, holi, holly, holli (“holey, spongy, hollow”); equivalent to hole + -y. The e was inserted in Modern English to distinguish the word from holy (“hallowed, sacred”).

Derived words

holey dollar holeyness
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