girlyn.
/ˈɡəːli/, U.S. /ˈɡərli/ A young woman, a girl; (esp. in earlier use) a little girl. Also used as a term of endearment. Occasionally depreciative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > child > girl > [noun]
maiden-childeOE
maidenOE
maidc1275
maid-childc1275
wenchc1290
thernec1300
lassc1325
maidenkinc1330
child-womana1382
girlc1400
pucelle1439
maidkin1440
mawther1440
mop1466
woman-child?1515
bonnea1529
urchina1535
kinchin-mort1567
dandiprat1582
prill1587
sluta1592
little girl1603
maggie1603
tendril1603
squall1607
childa1616
filly1616
vriester1652
miss1668
gilpie1720
lassie1725
laddess1768
jeune fillea1777
bitch1785
girly?1786
gal1795
ladyling1807
missikin1815
colleen1828
girleen1833
snowdrop1833
pinafore1836
chica1843
fillette1847
charity-girl1848
urchiness1852
Mädchen1854
gel1857
pusill1884
backfisch1888
girly-girly1888
cliner1895
tittie1918
weeny1929
bobby-soxer1944
the mind > emotion > love > terms of endearment > [noun] > of or to a girl
mops1565
whiting-mop1630
lamb-piea1640
girly?1786
little woman1790
ladyling1807
popsy1855
?1786 ‘T. Broadgrin’ Cabinet of Momus 336 Red, blue, an' green, an' likewise pearlie, I hae to fit the little girlie.
1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage I. x. 101 The girlies are weel eneugh; I see naething the matter wi' them.
a1854 E. Grant Mem. Highland Lady (1988) I. vi. 128 She determined on walking by the riverside, that lovely mile with Alexander and the girlie, me, as her escort.
1877 Princess Alice 28 July in Mem. (1884) 357 The two little girlies are so sweet.
1908 K. McGaffey Sorrows of Show Girl 27 Say, girlie, you're all right.
1953 G. Willans Down with Skool! 12/1 As you see he is skipping like a girlie he is uterly wet and a sissy.
1987 F. Kuppner Intelligent Observ. Naked Women 75 A girlie with a doll.
2002 Bliss June 204/3 If you did have the time for a girlie, what type would you go for?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
girlyadj.
/ˈɡəːli/, U.S. /ˈɡərli/ 1.
a. Characteristic of or befitting a girl; girlish. Also: effeminate. Frequently depreciative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > child > girl > [adjective]
maidena1400
wench-like1552
girlish1565
young-girlish1822
girly1857
puellular1861
little girl1863
young-girl1867
lassieish1882
puellile1891
small girl1916
girly1962
1857 E. M. Whitty Friends of Bohemia II. xxiii. 274 She was a tiny thing of flush fifteen, olive and ripe, with brown glistening ringlets on a delicious girly head.
1886 J. Ashby-Sterry Lazy Minstrel (ed. 2) 127 Her laugh is light, Her figure slight and girly.
1891 G. Meredith One of our Conquerors I. iii. 31 The silly girly sugary crudity has given way to womanly suavity.
1936 M. Franklin All that Swagger xii. 121 A house with girly curtains on glass windows.
1953 G. Willans Down with Skool! vi. 86 Yar boo sucks thou art much too girly in thy white silk tights.
1963 Honey Oct. 64/3 Girly dress with a Puritan collar and keyhole neckline.
1991 Business Life May 46/3 Our products are not girly. They are packaged to appeal to men as well.
1994 Guardian 4 Feb. ii. 5/3 Please, do not dismiss this as a girly crush. This is real love.
2002 Time 25 Feb. 28/2 Pelletier played hockey in..Quebec and as a child thought figure skating too girlie.
b. Involving girls or women and girlish or female concerns.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > child > girl > [adjective]
maidena1400
wench-like1552
girlish1565
young-girlish1822
girly1857
puellular1861
little girl1863
young-girl1867
lassieish1882
puellile1891
small girl1916
girly1962
1962 P. Dennis Genius vii. 17 I'm going into town to get my hair done, have a girly lunch with Katy, and then go to Sanborn's for..emery boards and vitamins.
1977 I. Shaw Beggarman, Thief ii. iv. 158 We'll go out to a girly lunch, just you and me.
2004 All About Soap 23 Oct. 34 We've not had time to ourselves for a girlie day like this for ages, so coming to a spa is perfect.
2. Of a publication, entertainment, etc.: featuring young women, usually naked or partially naked, in erotic contexts.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > moral or spiritual impurity > indecency > [adjective] > lewd, bawdy, or obscene > displaying females
girly1906
1906 Washington Post 2 Sept. 2/6 (advt.) Best girlie show of all.
1921 Variety 25 Nov. 23 The Adams act..is of the girly variety.
1942 H. Felsen He's in Submarines Now 65 Being rather partial to girlie pictures.
1969 V. Gielgud Necessary End v. 44 The barman, completely absorbed in the pages of a ‘girlie’ magazine.
1976 D. Topolski Muzungu iii. 34 Red strip-lighting..spangled the streets of the capital advertising brothels and girlie bars.
1992 M. Bishop Count Geiger's Blues ii. 11 A girlie joint called Salome's, where the girls strutted down a runway in nothing but heels and feather boas.
2006 Sun (Nexis) 25 Apr. When I was a kid I nearly got vertigo from the number of girlie mags stuffed under the mattress, which I thought my dad didn't know about.
Compounds
girly girl n. a woman or girl regarded as particularly feminine or girlish.In quot. 1880 probably: a female child.
ΚΠ
1880 Chicago Tribune 28 Nov. 1/4 (advt.) No boys desired this week! But girls—baby girls—girly girls—missy girls—maidy girls—married girls.
1882 Newport (Rhode Island) Mercury 4 Nov. 2/5 ‘The young lady..doesn't seem to have any practical ideas regarding life.’ ‘Sort of a girly girl, isn't she?’
1915 C. Smedley On Fighting Line iv. 86 You're just as good as a boy... I should have said you were such a girly-girl, but you're not one bit.
2007 Belfast Tel. (Nexis) 19 Apr. I wouldn't say she is a girlie girl or a tomboy, she loves her dolls but she also loves playing outside.
Derivatives
ˈgirliness n. girlishness.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > child > girl > [noun] > state of being girlish
girlishness1623
lassiehood1857
girliness1886
1886 J. Ashby-Sterry Lazy Minstrel 60 A white, white dress that artlessly reveals..The pouting beauty of her fair young form; In all its dainty, dimpled girliness.
1962 Daily Courier (Connellsville, Pa.) 31 Jan. 12/2 Americans almost believe these superficial qualities are the essence of girliness.
2004 Sugar Nov. 86/1 You don't have to stop being mates with boys, but try and subtly remind them of your girliness.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.?1786adj.1857