different between cosy vs coly

English

Alternative forms

The spelling cosy predominates in British English, and cozy in American English.

• cozy (North America)
• cosie (Scotland)
• cozie
• cosey (archaic)
• cozey

Etymology

From Scots cosie, from Old Scots colsie, but ultimate derivation is unknown. Possibly of North Germanic origin, such as Norwegian kose seg (“to have a cozy time”), from Old Norse kose sig, from koselig, koslig, perhaps ultimately from Old High German k?sa; see modern German kosen (“to cuddle”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k??zi/
• (US) enPR: k?'-z?, IPA^(key): /?ko?zi/
• Rhymes: -??zi

Adjective

cosy (comparative cosier, superlative cosiest)

1. Affording comfort and warmth; snug; social
   • 1785, Robert Burns, Holy Fair - While some are cozie i' the neuk, / An' forming assignations / To meet some day
   • 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, ch 30 - after Mr. Bob Sawyer had informed him that he meant to be very cosy, and that his friend Ben was to be one of the party, they shook hands and separated

   Synonym: snug

   Hyponym: gemütlich

Derived terms

• cosy up, cozy up

Translations

Noun

cosy (plural cosies)

1. A padded or knit covering put on an item to keep it warm, especially a teapot or egg.
2. A padded or knit covering for any item (often an electronic device such as a laptop computer).
3. A work of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.

Derived terms

• tea cosy, tea cozy
• egg cosy, egg cozy

Translations

Verb

cosy (third-person singular simple present cosies, present participle cosying, simple past and past participle cosied)

1. To become snug and comfortable.
2. To become friendly with.

   He spent all day cosying up to the new boss, hoping for a plum assignment.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
• Annandale, C., Ogilvie, J. (1907). The Student's English Dictionary. Ireland: Blackie, p. 164

Anagrams

• Coys, Soc'y, coys

French

Etymology

From English

Adjective

cosy (plural cosys)

1. correlation

Noun

cosy m (uncountable)

1. correlation

English

Wikispecies

Etymology

New Latin colius, probably from Ancient Greek ?????? (koliós, “a kind of woodpecker”).

Noun

coly (plural colies)

1. Any bird of either of the genera Colius or Urocolius, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.
   • 1999, Michael A. Mares, Mousebird, entry in Encyclopedia of Deserts, page 378,

     Coliiformes is the only order of birds endemic to Africa. Six species from two genera (Urocolius and Colius) are recognized, all of which are sedentary. Mousebirds (also known as colies) range through sub-Saharan open savannas and are often common in such areas.

Usage notes

Extant species of order Coliiformes are classified into the genera Colius and Urocolius, both in family Coliidae.

Synonyms

• (bird): mousebird

See also

• Coliiformes (order)
• Coliidae (family)

Anagrams

• cloy