holey

English

Etymology

From Middle English holy, holi, holly, holli (“holey, spongy, hollow”); equivalent to hole +‎ -y. The e was inserted in Modern English to distinguish the word from holy (“hallowed, sacred”).

Pronunciation

(UK, wholly-holy split) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊl.li/, [ˈhɒʊli], [ˈhɒʊɫ.li]
(UK, without wholly-holy split) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊli/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊli/
Rhymes: -əʊli
Homophones: wholly, holy (in accents without the wholly-holy split)

Adjective

holey (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

Having, or being full of, holes.
Fred loved holey Dutch cheese.

Derived terms

Translations

containing holes

Bashkir: тишек (tişek)
Bulgarian: дупчест (dupčest)
Esperanto: trua
French: troué (fr) m
German: löchrig (de)
Ido: truala
Ingrian: uutukas
Maori: pihangarua, puhangarua, watawata
Polish: dziurawy (pl) m
Russian: дыря́вый (ru) f (dyrjávyj)
Spanish: ojoso
Volapük: hogik

Anagrams

Hoyle