different between eagre vs willy

English

Etymology 1

See eager.

Adjective

eagre (comparative more eagre, superlative most eagre)

1. Obsolete form of eager.
   • 1614, Walter Raleigh, The History of the World, Book III., Chapter VII., page #66:

     How?oeuer it were, the Lacedæmonians being no le??e wearied of the warre, than the Athenians were eagre to pur?ue it, the one obtained their ea?e, and the other the execution and honor which they de?ired : for all the Greekes (tho?e of Peloponme?us excepted) willingly ?ubiected them?elues to the commandment of the Athenians which was both beginning of their greatne??e in that pre?ent age, and of their ruine in the next ?ucceeding.

Etymology 2

Not attested in Middle English; either from Old English ?agor (“water, sea”) or Old Norse ægir (“sea, ocean”), however, both possibilities fail to show the phonological outcome one would expect.

Alternative forms

• aegir, eger, egre, eygre

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e???(?)/, /?i???(?)/
• Rhymes: -e???(r), -i???(r)

Noun

eagre (plural eagres)

1. a tidal bore

Translations

Synonyms

• tidal bore, bore

References

• “eagre”, in OED Online ?, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000

Anagrams

• Eager, aeger, agree, eager, geare, æger

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Etymology 1

From Middle English willy, willi, equivalent to will +? -y. Cognate with Dutch willig (“obedient, hearsome”), German willig (“willing”), Swedish villig (“willing, agreeable”).

Adjective

willy (comparative willier or more willy, superlative williest or most willy)

1. (obsolete) Willing; favourable; ready; eager.
2. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) Self-willed; willful.

Related terms

• ill-willy
• evil-willy

Etymology 2

From Middle English wil?e, from Old English wili? (“willow”). More at willow.

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. Alternative form of willow

Verb

willy (third-person singular simple present willies, present participle willying, simple past and past participle willied)

1. To cleanse wool or cotton, etc. with a willy, or willow.

Etymology 3

From Middle English wilie, from Old English wili?e, wile?e (“basket”), from Proto-Germanic *wilig? (“wicker basket”), from Proto-Indo-European *weliko- (“willow-tree”). More at weel, willow.

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (Britain dialectal) A willow basket.
2. (Britain dialectal) A fish basket.

Etymology 4

• Originally northern British usage, from the 1960s. Probably the simple use of a proper name as a pet name; compare dick, fanny and peter. Unlikely to be a contraction of Latin membrum virile, male member (that is, the penis), a Latin term used in English in the nineteenth century.

Alternative forms

• willie

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (hypocoristic, slang, childish) the penis.
2. (Britain, childish) Term of abuse.

Synonyms

• (penis): peter, johnson, wee-wee; see also Thesaurus:penis

Translations

Etymology 5

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

• willie

Noun

willy (plural willies)

1. (espionage) A person who is manipulated into serving as a useful agent without knowing it.

See also

• wet willy
• the willies
• willy willy
• willy-nilly