/ ˈhɒli; NAmE ˈhɑːli/ noun
( pl. -ies ) [ U , C ] a bush or small tree with hard shiny leaves with sharp points and bright red berries in winter, often used as a decoration at Christmas :
a sprig of holly
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English holi , shortened form of Old English holegn , holen , of Germanic origin; related to German Hulst .