hoary
/hɔɹ.i/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.29 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
White, whitish, or greyish-white.
adj
Old or old-fashioned; trite.
Example Sentences
- "As hoary frost with spangles doth attire, The mossy braunches of an oke halfe ded,"
- "But hoary Winter, unadorn'd and bare, Dwells in the dire Retreat, and freezes there."
- "The old man bowed his hoary head in acquiescence."
- "And ever and anon a silent tear Stole down, and trickled from his hoary beard."
- "And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne."
- "My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the working of his lie On mine […]"
Etymology
Possibly from Middle English *hori (suggested by horilocket (“hoary-locked, having hoary locks or curls”)), equivalent to hoar + -y. Alternatively, Middle English horilocket may represent Middle English hor (“hoar, hoary”) + ilocket (“locked”) rather than hori (“hoary”) + locket (“locked”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /hɔɹ.i/
- British English: /hɔː.ɹi/