moly

[ moh-lee ]

/ ˈmoʊ li /

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noun, plural mo·lies.Classical Mythology.

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

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What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of moly

<Latin mōly<Greek môly

Words nearby moly

molten, Moltke, molto, Moluccas, mol. wt., moly, molybdate, molybdate orange, molybdenite, molybdenosis, molybdenous

Other definitions for moly (2 of 2)

moly²

[ 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. 2022

How to use moly in a sentence

Entertainment blog Holy Moly is among the most effusive with praise.
New Beyoncé Song 'Grown Woman' Leaks, Is Fantastic|Kevin Fallon|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When Orlean recently tweeted the question, “Is it ‘holy moly’ or ‘holey moley’ or ‘holy moley’?”
Timothy Hutton: Literary Sex God|Sean Kennedy|January 19, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Doubtless the dispute is still being carried on between these chieftains from their beds of asphodel and moly in Elysium.
The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce|Ambrose Bierce
"Moly" (mo'ly), by Edith M. Thomas (1850-), in the best possible presentation of the value of integrity.
Poems Every Child Should Know|Various

Ulysses himself then goes, having obtained the plant moly; he subdues, enjoys; he releases his companions.
Homer's Odyssey|Denton J. Snider
Moly seems to have been Allium moly, one of the onion or garlic family.
The Romance of Plant Life|G. F. Scott Elliot
Ulysses resisted the enchantment by means of the herb moly, given him by Mercury.
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1|The Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D.

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