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woolly

woolly

3 2.2
A thick warm sweater you wear in cold weather
  • noun
  • /ˈwʊli/
  • UK
translation icon : jersey (ES)
  • Every muscle in his body throbbed, for he'd shorn more squirming woollies than any man on his crew in the days just past, and he felt as though he could sleep for a month, should the opportunity arise.

Examples

  • Max, you must wear your woolly vest; you know how cold you get.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I took my, like, woolly sweater off, put some lotion on, Put this shirt on so that I may hide it from the world as I go heal in bed while I sleep.

  • White woolly socks, black patent-leather shoes, but the same old scuffed boots to fit over them.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • White woolly socks and shiny patent-leather shoes and the skinny leg hanging limp, swelling below the knee like a giant bee had stung it.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • On the chilly evening, she put on her woolly sweater to stay warm.

  • He wrapped himself in a thick woolly blanket while watching the movie.

  • For the winter hike, I chose my favorite woolly scarf for extra warmth.

Synonyms

fleece
vswoolly
22 3.2

A soft warm fabric used for jackets and blankets

is made from animal fibre rather than the synthetic deep pile fabric
woolen
vswoolly
  • US
9 2.3

A cloth or piece of clothing made from wool to keep warm

is a specific warm garment made from that fabric for cold weather
hoody
vswoolly
  • UK
7 2.6

A casual sweatshirt with a hood you pull over your head for warmth

is a warm knitted garment made from animal fibre rather than a sweatshirt
knitwear
vswoolly
3 2.1

Clothing made by knitting, like sweaters or scarves

is specifically a warm animal fibre garment rather than any knitted item
5.5

A sweater made of rough thick wool that feels scratchy but keeps you warm

is a general warm garment not necessarily coarse or made from unfinished fibre
chunky sweater
vswoolly
1.8

A knitted piece of clothing made with thick yarn to keep you warm

is identified by its animal fibre makeup rather than by yarn thickness
toasty sweater
vswoolly
  • Informal
1.8

A warm, cozy piece of clothing that keeps you comfortable in cold weather

focuses on being made from animal fibre rather than just extra warmth
shaggy sweater
vswoolly
3.5

A sweater with long soft threads that are fluffy and may shed

is defined by material origin and purpose for cold weather rather than texture
cozy hoodie
vswoolly
  • US
1.1

A warm comfortable sweatshirt with a hood for relaxing or casual wear

is a knitted animal fibre piece rather than a casual sweatshirt style

Antonyms

420 1.0

Not thick from side to side, for example a line or a slice

36 2.8

Weighing less than other items of the same type

Compounds

A large extinct elephant with thick fur that lived in cold areas during the Ice Age

1 7.7

A furry caterpillar with black and brown bands that appears in gardens

A large monkey with thick soft fur that lives in South American rainforests

A large rhinoceros with thick hair that lived in cold places during the Ice Age

balsam woolly aphid
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wingless insect that attacks and can kill balsam and Fraser fir trees

A tall thistle with soft white hairs that grows in parts of Europe

A hairy caterpillar with thick, stiff hairs that turns into a small moth

A hairy caterpillar with a thick, fuzzy coat and dark bands

9.8

A small plant that lives for one year with soft grey leaves and small yellow flower heads

woolly adelgid
  • Specialized
9.9

A small insect that sucks sap from hemlock trees and makes white cottony egg sacs on branches

woolly alder aphid
  • Specialized
9.8

A small insect with a white, wool-like covering that feeds on alder trees

woolly aphid
  • Specialized
7.9

A small insect that makes a white, cotton-like covering on plants

woolly apple aphid
  • Specialized
8.2

A small insect that feeds on apple trees, looks covered in white wool, and harms the tree

An upright California bush with young twigs covered in fuzzy hairs

A lemur active at night with thick grey-brown fur and a long tail from Madagascar

A tall plant with soft hairy leaves and bright yellow flowers

Having thick, curly or matted hair like wool

woolly-stemmed
  • Specialized
7.7

A plant stem covered with soft hairs like wool

A small insect that looks like white cotton on plants and sucks their juice

A plant with yellow daisy-like flowers and soft hairy leaves

A prickly plant with pale purple flowers and hairy white stems and leaves

woolly thistle
  • Specialized
7.6

A prickly plant with white hairy leaves found in western North America

How Warm

parka
29 1.5
coat
957 1.0
woolly
  • UK
3 2.2
sweater
421 1.0
cardigan
27 1.0
shirt
1.0

Surface Forms

woolly singular
woollies plural

Morphology

woolly = woolly (semi-transparent) = wool + ly

The noun is a converted use of the adjective 'woolly', which is transparently related to 'wool', but the specific sense 'a wool sweater or jumper' is a specialized nominal use.

Etymology

The word woolly as a noun comes from wool and is a common British way to say 'a warm piece of clothing' like a sweater. So when someone says 'put on a woolly' they mean put on something made of wool to keep warm.