Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
Burly — Bur ly (b[^u]r l[y^]), a. [OE. burlich strong, excellent; perh. orig. fit for a lady s bower, hence handsome, manly, stout. Cf. {Bower}.] 1. Having a large, strong, or gross body; stout; lusty; now used chiefly of human beings, but formerly of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
burly — index strong Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
burly — c.1300, perhaps from O.E. burlic noble, stately, lit. bowerly, fit to frequent a lady s apartment (see BOWER (Cf. bower)). Sense descended through stout, and sturdy by 15c. to heavily built. Another theory connects the original word to O.H.G.… … Etymology dictionary
burly — husky, *muscular, brawny, athletic, sinewy Analogous words: corpulent, *fleshy, portly: bulky, substantial, *massive: *vigorous, lusty: *powerful, forceful, potent Antonyms: lanky, lank Contrasted words … New Dictionary of Synonyms
burly — [adj] husky able bodied, athletic, beefcake*, beefy*, big, brawny, bruising, bulky, gorillalike, hefty, hulking, hulky, hunk, muscular, portly, powerful, stocky, stout, strapping, strong, sturdy, thickset, well built; concept 773 Ant. light, slim … New thesaurus
burly — ► ADJECTIVE (burlier, burliest) ▪ (of a person) large and strong. DERIVATIVES burliness noun. ORIGIN probably from an Old English word meaning stately, fit for the bower … English terms dictionary
burly — [bʉr′lē] adj. burlier, burliest [ME borlich, excellent, noble, handsome, altered (? by assoc. with bour,BOWER1) < OE borlice, very, excellently] 1. big and strong; heavy and muscular 2. rough and hearty in manner; bluff burliness n … English World dictionary
burly — adjective a) Large, well built, and muscular. Hes a big, burly rugby player who works as a landscape gardener. b) Originating from the east end of London, England. An expressive term to mean something is good, awesome, amazing, unbelievable. e.g… … Wiktionary
burly — bur|ly [ˈbə:li US ˈbə:rli] adj [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: burly noble, impressive (13 17 centuries), perhaps from an unrecorded Old English borlic excellent ] a burly man is big and strong ▪ a burly policeman … Dictionary of contemporary English
burly — UK [ˈbɜː(r)lɪ] / US [ˈbɜrlɪ] adjective Word forms burly : adjective burly comparative burlier superlative burliest a burly man is fat and strong Derived word: burliness noun uncountable … English dictionary
burly — [[t]bɜ͟ː(r)li[/t]] burlier, burliest ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n A burly man has a broad body and strong muscles. He was a big, burly man … English dictionary
