English

Adverb

thoroly ‎(comparative more thoroly, superlative most thoroly)

1. (rare) Alternative spelling of thoroughly

   • 1915, Irving Langmuir, “The Pure Electron Discharge and Its Applications in Radio Telegraphy and Telephony”, in Alfred N. Goldsmith, editor, Proceedings of the IRE, volume 3, number 3, The Institute of Radio Engineers, published 1915, page 269:

     It was also necessary to free the glass surfaces very much more thoroly from gas than had been thought necessary previously.

   • 1916, William J. Robinson, MD, Birth Control or the Limitation of Offspring, Reprint edition, Wildside Press, published 2007, ISBN 9781434496195, page 150:

     But there are now not a few well-to-do, well-known and influential men and women who thoroly believe that teaching the poor ...

   • 1920, Arthur E. Bostwick, PhD, Librarian's Open Shelf Essays on Various Subjects, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2004:

     We can scarcely expect that each of our five hundred assistants should be thoroly imbued with the spirit of helpfulness toward the schools or even that they should perfectly understand what we desire and aim to do.

   • 1983, Robert Simon, Percy Grainger: The Pictorial Biography, GIA Publications, ISBN 9780878752812:

     Swedish and German Ellan and I can easily teah you (if you care to learn them), which would set you up thoroly on the language side. Music I will develop you in thoroly, if you care to work with me.

   • Kenneth Helrich (1990) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists
   • 2003, NW Walker, Raw Vegetable Juices: What's Missing in Your Body, Health Research Books, ISBN 9780787313388, page 68:

     It is, therefore, of extreme importance to clean the vegetables thoroly …

Usage notes

This spelling is seldom found nowadays. However, the spelling is occasionally employed as shorthand.

Related terms

• thoro
• thorofare

References

H.L. Mencken (1921) The American Language