holy

From Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kóh₂ilus (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole +‎ -y. Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊli/
• (US) enPR: hōʹlē, IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊli/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -əʊli
• Homophones: holey, wholly

holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

1. Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

   I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.

2. Revered in a religion.
3. Perfect or flawless.
4. Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
5. Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
6. (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.

   Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

   Those children next door are holy terrors!

• (dedicated to a religious purpose or a god): sacred
• (revered in a religion): sacred
• (perfect, flawless): faultless, flawless, perfect
• (separated or set apart from something): sanctified
• (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): reserved, special

• (revered in a religion): profane, secular, unholy, worldly
• (perfect, flawless): damaged, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect
• (set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose): common

holy (plural holies)

1. (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
   • Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art (1882) p. 146:

     The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.

• holiest of holies
• Holy of Holies

• hylo-

From Old English hāliġ, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz; equivalent to hool +‎ -y.

• hooly, holi, hooli, holye, holie, holly, hoolly, holli, hoolli, oly, oli, wholy, woly, hole, hali, haly, hayly, aly, ali, hale, hely, heli, holiȝ, holiȝe, holia, halge, halege, halȝe, hallȝhe, haliȝ, haliȝe, halie

holy (inflected form holye, comparative holyere, superlative holyest)

1. Dedicated to or separated for a religious purpose; sacred, consecrated.
2. Characterized by virtue or perfection.
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, page 37:

     […] of moost holi lyuynge, and best taught and moost wyse of heuenly wysdom […]

     […] of the most holy living, and the best-taught and wisest heavenly wisdom […]

• English: holy
• Scots: haly, halie

holy (plural holies)

1. The state of being holy; holiness.
2. One who is sanctified or made holy; a saint, hallow
3. A sacred place; a sanctuary

• alle goddis holy
• holy of holies

• holy

• “holi, adj. (2)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.
• “holi, n.” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.

From hol +‎ -y

• holi, holly, holli

holy

1. Full of holes or cavities; porous, spongy; hollow.

• holinesse

• English: holey

• “holi, adj. (1)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 4 August 2018.