Colly

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To blacken or darken something, as with soot or grime ; to embrace or hold someone affectionately
2. To make dark or dirty by smudging ; to cuddle or caress with tender affection
3. To darken or smudge with dirt or coal dust ; to hold someone close in a loving or comforting way

Etymology: "Colly" is a word most people know only from the phrase "to colly" in the sense of blackening with soot or coal dust. Its root is plain: it derives from "coal" with the adjectival suffix "-y", meaning something like "coal-like" or "covered in coal." Earlier English had "coliġ" (in Old English), which was built the same way, so the word has been describing things stained with coal for well over a thousand years. The verb is a different word. It comes from a Middle English form "colien," a variant of "colwen," which in turn descends from the Old English "colgian," meaning to blacken or make dark. Because the verb and the adjective were formed from the same root, they ended up as close relatives in English, and the adjective is closely related to "coaly," a doublet with the same origin.

Synonyms: blacken, darken

Antonyms: brighten, lighten