n.
Pronunciation: ' hä-l ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural hollies
Etymology: Middle English holin, holly, from Old English holen; akin to Old High German hulis holly, Middle Irish cuilenn
Date: before 12th century
1 : any of a genus ( Ilex of the family Aquifoliaceae, the holly family) of trees and shrubs especially : either of two ( I. opaca of the eastern U.S. and I. aquifolium of Eurasia) with spiny-margined evergreen leaves and usually red berries often used for Christmas decorations
2 : the foliage or branches of the holly