any of numerous trees or shrubs of the genus Ilex, as I. opaca American holly, the state tree of Delaware, or I. aquifolium English holly, having glossy, spiny-toothed leaves, small, whitish flowers, and red berries.
the foliage and berries, used for decoration, especially during the Christmas season.
Buddy Charles Hardin Holley, 1936–59, U.S. rock and roll singer and guitarist.
a female or male given name.
any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex, such as the Eurasian I. aquifolium, having bright red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges
branches of any of these trees, used for Christmas decorations
another name for holm oak
What does holly mean? Holly is a plant (tree or shrub) known for its bright red berries and its glossy, prickly-edged evergreen leaves. There are many varieties of holly, all of which belong to the genus Ilex. Most people are familiar with the common varieties of decorative holly, including American holly (scientific name Ilex opaca) and English holly (Ilex aquifolium)In many places, holly is associated with wintertime and particularly with the Christmas season. (Some varieties of holly are known as winterberry.) During this season, holly branches are popularly used in decorations such as wreaths. Although holly plants are not especially known for their flowers (which are small and white), holly is one of the December birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone). American holly is the state tree of Delaware. Holly is also a given name, most traditionally a feminine one. Example: I just love the look of a real holly wreath on the door—it’s so festive!
before 1150; Middle English holi ( e ), holyn, Old English hole ( g ) n; cognate with Welsh celyn, Irish cuillean; akin to Dutch, German hulst, French houx (< Old High German hulis )
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Butterfly Conservation said it was the worst year recorded for the common blue, holly blue, green-veined white, small white, small tortoiseshell, painted lady and Scotch argus.
From BBC • Sep. 17, 2024
These could include English oak, beech, silver birch and holly trees, which they say could be vulnerable to warmer temperatures and longer dry spells.
From BBC • Jul. 22, 2024
The halls are decked with boughs of holly.
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2023
For a decade, he had watched three holly plants from Australia bear fruit without having ever produced a male flower or anything that resembled pollen, the vehicle for plant sperm.
From Science Magazine • May 17, 2023
Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
