i Register
In some senses, colly is marked as archaic, dated, British. Watch for register when choosing this word.
colly
UK /ˈkɒli/ US /ˈkɑli/
noun 3adj 1verb 1
Collocations
4ADJ.
all, binding, enough, over
VERB + COLLY
besmeared
COLLY + NOUN
birds, dog, himself
PREP.
with
Definitions
adj
1
Black as coal.
four colly birds
verb
1
To make black, as with coal.
Thou hast not collied thy face enough, stinkard
Brief as the lighting in the collied night.
noun
1
Soot.
besmeared with soot , colly
2
A blackbird
3
Alternative spelling of collie.
Can a Whig lick the feet o' the tyrant wha usurps oor Lord's throne, and accept o' ane indulgence frae him, hurled to him as a bane to a colly dog, binding himself to think as he thinks, and to preach as he wulls it; and to flatter tyranny in church and state, to win a paltry boon!
On the moors and mountains of Scotland the shepherd sends out his colly with the sheep, far out of his sight, conscious that when he sets out to look for them, they will be found herded safely together.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
four colly birds
Wiktionary02
Thou hast not collied thy face enough, stinkard
Wiktionary03
Brief as the lighting in the collied night.
Wiktionary04
Not as I could find i' my heart to let him stay i' the coal-hole more nor a minute, but it was enough to colly him all over. . . .
Wiktionary05
besmeared with soot , colly
Wiktionary06
Can a Whig lick the feet o' the tyrant wha usurps oor Lord's throne, and accept o' ane indulgence frae him, hurled to him as a bane to a colly dog, binding himself to think as he thinks, and to preach
WiktionaryUsage Notes
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