moly

[ moh-lee ]

/ ˈmoʊ li /

noun, plural mo·lies. Classical Mythology.

an herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.

Nearby words

Origin of moly

< Latin mōly < Greek môly

Definition for moly (2 of 2)

moly

[ mol-ee ]

/ ˈmɒl i /

noun Informal.

molybdenum.

Origin of moly

by shortening

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for moly

“Moly,” the gods call it, and very hard it is for mortal man to find.
Stories of the Old world|Alfred John Church
Every time my boys read "Odysseus" or the story of Ulysses with me we read or learn "Moly."
Poems Every Child Should Know|Various
The mandrake, like the moly, the magical herb of the Odyssey, is ‘hard for men to dig.’
Custom and Myth|Andrew Lang
"Moly" (mo'ly), by Edith M. Thomas (1850-), in the best possible presentation of the value of integrity.
Poems Every Child Should Know|Various

Twelve hundred years after Homer, the inhabitants of Cappadocia are said to have called rue ‘moly.’
Custom and Myth|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for moly

moly

/ (ˈməʊlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

Greek myth a magic herb given by Hermes to Odysseus to nullify the spells of Circe

a liliaceous plant, Allium moly, that is native to S Europe and has yellow flowers in a dense cluster

Word Origin for moly

C16: from Latin mōly, from Greek mōlu

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for moly

moly

1570s, fabulous magical herb with white flowers and black root, given by Hermes to Odysseus as protection against Circe's sorcery, of unknown origin.