holly
noun
hol·ly
| \ ˈhä-lē
\
\
plural hollies
Definition of holly
1
: any of a genus (Ilex of the family Aquifoliaceae, the holly family) of trees and shrubs
especially
: either of two (I. opaca of the eastern U.S. and I. aquifolium of Eurasia) with spiny-margined evergreen leaves and usually red berries often used for Christmas decorations
2
: the foliage or branches of the holly
Examples of holly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This season, deck the halls with boughs of holly—and bouts of laughter! — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "60 Best Christmas Puns That Yule Be Laughing at All Season Long," 27 Aug. 2019 The quarry last operated at the turn of the 20th century, and today, it is shaded with a lush canopy of indigenous ash, oak and holly trees. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Would You Like to Buy an Extinct Volcano?," 2 Aug. 2019 There is also a table in the entryway made of holly and ebony that has two legs and is built into a niche in an area where originally there was a second front door. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Grandparents’ grand Cedarburg home is gutted but preserved after 120-plus years," 11 July 2019 Dwarf Chinese hollies, dwarf yaupons and one of the improved Japanese boxwood selections also would be good options. — Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, "How soon is too soon to use compost?," 7 June 2019 Size: 3 feet tall and wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8 Boxwood Lookalikes Gem Box Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra 'Gem Box') Here's a holly that resembles a boxwood! — Arricca Sansone, Country Living, "20 Best Boxwood Shrubs to Plant in Your Garden," 14 Feb. 2019 Just look at The Home Depot's new holly jolly selection of indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Here's Your First Look at The Home Depot's Best New Christmas Decorations," 14 Oct. 2018 Carissa hollies are ideal change-outs for the hawthorns. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "Overgrown shrubs? Thinning turfgrass? Here are solutions to common gardening struggles," 13 June 2018 Oakland or Mary Nell hollies would be two other choices. — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "Variegated cane not invasive, but should still be contained," 11 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'holly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for holly
holly
noun
English Language Learners Definition of holly
: a tree or bush with dark green leaves and bright red berries
also
: the branches of this plant which are used for decoration especially at Christmas
See the full definition for holly in the English Language Learners Dictionary
holly
noun
hol·ly
| \ ˈhä-lē
\
\
plural hollies
Kids Definition of holly
: an evergreen tree or shrub that has shiny leaves with prickly edges and red berries
holly
Medical Definition of holly
— see sea holly
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