holeyadj.
/ˈhəʊli/, U.S. /ˈhoʊli/ a. Full of holes.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > an opening or aperture > [adjective] > having (a) hole(s) > full of holes
holey1398
sieve-like1605
windowed1608
open-waled1611
open1625
foraminous1626
windowya1631
honeycombed1633
foraminulous1664
cribrous1674
cribriform1741
riddled1785
cribrose1857
1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (Bodl.) viii. xxi Thei [stars] beþ rounde in substaunce..nouȝt holouȝ noþer holly in þe vtter partie.
1551–2 Act 5 & 6 Edw. VI c. 6 §6 Yf..Clothe..happen..to be full of holes mylbrack or to be hollie [Ruffhead holely].
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. xxv. 177 Leaues..holy, as though they had bene eaten with Locustes, Paulmers or Snayles.
1637 S. Rutherford Let. 10 Sept. in Joshua Redivivus (1664) 158 An old hollie & threed-bare garment.
1818 J. Brown Psyche 127 'Tis just as holey as a crumpet.
1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) II. 287 Fools..are supposed to be carrying water to this vessel, which is full of holes, in a similarly holey sieve.
b. holey (erron. holy) dollar, a Spanish dollar out of which a dump had been punched (see dump n.2 b), formerly current in parts of Australia.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > foreign coins > [noun] > Australian coins
ring dollar1828
holey (erron. holy) dollar1857
Australian nugget1986
1857 D. Bunce Australasiatic Remin. 59 Our first change for a pound consisted of two dumps, two holy dollars, one Spanish dollar, one French coin [etc.].
1883 Numism. Chron. 3rd Ser. 3 119 These coins popularly called ‘holey dollars’ are extremely scarce.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1899; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1398