different between mealie vs meanie

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans mielie, from obsolete Dutch milie (“millet, maize”), from Old French mil (“millet”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi?li/
• Homophone: mealy

Noun

mealie (plural mealies)

1. (South Africa) An ear or kernel of maize; in plural as mass noun: maize, corn.
   • 1897, James Bryce, Impressions of South Africa, p. 90:

     The wants of a native living with his tribe and cultivating mealies or Kafir corn are confined to a kaross (skin cloak) or some pieces of cotton cloth.

   • 1952, Doris Lessing, Martha Quest, Panther 1974, p. 8:

     At the other end of the veranda, on two deck-chairs planted side by side and looking away over the bush and the mealie fields, were Mr. Quest and Mr. Van Rensberg […]

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, p. 10:

     My mother planted and harvested her own mealies.

Derived terms

• mealie land
• mealie meal

Anagrams

• Emelia

English

Alternative forms

• meany

Etymology

mean +? -ie

Noun

meanie (plural meanies)

1. (informal, chiefly childish) A mean (unkind or miserly) person; a killjoy.

   Teacher kept me in after school again. What a meanie!

   That meanie wouldn't even lend me the bus fare.
2. (informal) A villain.

   Synonym: baddie

Translations

Derived terms

• blue meanie
• pink meanie (Drymonema larsoni)

Further reading

• meanie at OneLook Dictionary Search