moly

¹

[ moh-lee ]

noun

, Classical Mythology.

, plural mo·lies.

1. an herb given to Odysseus by Hermes to counteract the spells of Circe.

moly

²

[ mol-ee ]

noun

, Informal.

1. molybdenum.

moly

/ ˈməʊlɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth a magic herb given by Hermes to Odysseus to nullify the spells of Circe
2. a liliaceous plant, Allium moly, that is native to S Europe and has yellow flowers in a dense cluster

Word History and Origins

Origin of moly¹

< Latin mōly < Greek môly

Origin of moly²

By shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of moly¹

C16: from Latin mōly, from Greek mōlu

Example Sentences

Holy moly, I can call him Uncle Ty.

From Literature

I climb through, and holy moly this place is holy.

From Literature

“Hellhounds...Giant’s hair. Holy moly, Giant’s hair! Dad taught me about it in my hellhound lesson. It’s one of the few things strong enough to catch them. He also said you shouldn’t try to catch a hellhound in cold climates because Giant’s hair weakens in the cold.”

From Literature

“Holy moly, could it...could that be where he hid it?”

From Literature

Holy moly, it’s just me, Cocoa, and the dragon.

From Literature