different between dalliance vs dally

English

Etymology

From Middle English daliaunce et al., from dalien (“to exchange pleasantries, to chat; to flirt”), from Old French dalier, dailer.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?dal??ns/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?dæli.?ns/

Noun

dalliance (countable and uncountable, plural dalliances)

1. Playful flirtation; amorous play. [from 14th c.]

   Synonym: flirtation
2. A wasting of time in idleness or trifles. [from 16th c.]

   Synonyms: dawdling, idling, trifling
3. A sexual relationship, not serious but often illicit.

   Synonym: affair

Related terms

• dallier
• dally
• dallying

Translations

Anagrams

• allianced

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dæli/
• Rhymes: -æli

Etymology 1

From Middle English dalyen, from Anglo-Norman delaier.

Verb

dally (third-person singular simple present dallies, present participle dallying, simple past and past participle dallied)

1. To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.

   Synonyms: dawdle, dilly-dally; see also Thesaurus:loiter
2. (transitive, intransitive) To caress, especially of a sexual nature; to fondle or pet

   Synonyms: feel up, grope, touch up; see also Thesaurus:fondle
3. To delay unnecessarily; to while away.

   Synonym: kill time

Translations

Etymology 2

Possibly from Spanish dale la vuelta (“twist it around”) by law of Hobson-Jobson, from dale + la + vuelta.

Noun

dally (plural dallies)

1. Several wraps of rope around the saddle horn, used to stop animals in roping.

Verb

dally (third-person singular simple present dallies, present participle dallying, simple past and past participle dallied)

1. To wind the lasso rope (ie throw-rope) around the saddle horn (the saddle horn is attached to the pommel of a western style saddle) after the roping of an animal

Anagrams

• d'y'all, y'all'd