Colly

/ˈkɒli/ · adjective

Meaning

(British, dialect) Black as coal..

Definitions by Sense

1. (British, dialect) Black as coal.
2. (transitive, archaic) To make black, as with coal.
3. (British, dialect) Soot.
4. (British, dialect) A blackbird
5. (dated) Alternative spelling of collie.

Example Sentences

four colly birds

Thou hast not collied thy face enough, stinkard

Brief as the lighting in the collied night.

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. . . .

besmeared with soot , colly

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.

Colly dog's early training is a rude one, but I think that it is mutual, and that the shepherd picks up a good deal of dog during the process.

Synonyms for colly

Antonyms for colly

Related Words

Word Forms

• collier
• colliest
• collies
• collying
• collied
• kelly

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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