Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Woolly
Wool′ly
,Adj.
1.
Consisting of wool;
as, a
. woolly
covering; a woolly
fleece2.
Resembling wool; of the nature of wool.
“My fleece of woolly hair.” Shak.
3.
Clothed with wool.
“Woolly breeders.” Shak.
4.
(Bot.)
Clothed with a fine, curly pubescence resembling wool.
Woolly bear
(Zool.)
, the hairy larva of several species of bombycid moths. The most common species in the United States are the salt-marsh caterpillar (see under
– Salt
), the black and red woolly bear, or larva of the Isabella moth (see Illust., under Isabella Moth
), and the yellow woolly bear, or larva of the American ermine moth (Spilosoma Virginica
). Woolly butt
(Bot.)
, an Australian tree (
– Eucalyptus longifolia
), so named because of its fibrous bark. Woolly louse
(Zool.)
, a plant louse (
– Schizoneura lanigera
syn Erisoma lanigera
) which is often very injurious to the apple tree. It is covered with a dense coat of white filaments somewhat resembling fine wool or cotton. In exists in two forms, one of which infests the roots, the other the branches. See Illust. under Blight
. Woolly macaco
(Zool.)
, the mongoose lemur.
– Woolly maki
(Zool.)
, a long-tailed lemur (
– Indris laniger
) native of Madagascar, having fur somewhat like wool; – called also avahi
, and woolly lemur
. Woolly monkey
(Zool.)
, any South American monkey of the genus
– Lagothrix
, as the caparro. Woolly rhinoceros
(Paleon.)
, an extinct rhinoceros (
Rhinoceros tichorhinus
) which inhabited the arctic regions, and was covered with a dense coat of woolly hair. It has been found frozen in the ice of Siberia, with the flesh and hair well preserved.Webster 1828 Edition
Woolly
WOOLLY
,Adj.
1.
Consisting of wool; as a woolly covering; a woolly fleece.2.
Resembling wool; as woolly hair.3.
Clothed with wool; as woolly breeders.4.
In botany, clothed with a pubescence resembling wool.Definition 2024
woolly
woolly
English
Alternative forms
- wooly (chiefly used in the US, but less common than woolly even there)
Adjective
woolly (comparative woollier, superlative woolliest)
- Made of wool.
- Put on a woolly jumper and turn down the thermostat.
- Having a thick, soft texture, as if made of wool.
- woolly hair
- (figuratively) Of thinking, principles, etc, based on emotion rather than logic.
- That's the sort of woolly thinking that causes wars to start.
- (figuratively) Unclear, fuzzy, hazy, cloudy.
- (obsolete) Clothed in wool.
- Shakespeare
- woolly breeders
- Shakespeare
Derived terms
- woolly hat
- woolly-headed, wooly-headed
- woolly-minded (British) and (US), wooly-minded (US)
Translations
made of wool
Noun
woolly (plural woollies)
- (informal) A sweater or similar garment made of wool
Etymology 2
From woolyback.
Noun
woolly (plural woollies)
- (Liverpudlian, pejorative) Someone not born in Liverpool (especially from the towns of Wigan, St Helen's, Widnes, Warrington and Runcorn).