HOLLY

Holly, Buddy Holly, Charles Hardin Holley

(noun) United States rock star (1936-1959)

holly

(noun) any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

holly (countable and uncountable, plural hollies)

Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.

The wood from this tree.

(with a qualifier) Any of several unrelated plant species likened to Ilex because of their prickly, evergreen foliage and/or round, bright-red berries

Etymology

Proper noun

Holly

A female given name from English.

A topographic surname.

(rare) A male given name from surnames.

Source: Wiktionary

Hol"ly, adv.

Definition: Wholly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Hol"ly, n. Etym: [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.]

1. (Bot.)

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

Note: 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.

2. (Bot.)

Definition: The holm oak. See 1st Holm. 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition