I. adjective
also wooly ˈwu̇lē, -li
( woollier also woolier ; woolliest also wooliest )
Etymology: wool (I) + -y, adjective suffix
1.
a. : of, relating to, or bearing wool
a besmocked yokel … with his woolly flock — New York Herald Tribune Book Review
: having the character of wool
although these animals are true sheep, their coat is hairy and not woolly — Natural History
b. : characteristic of wool
the woolly smell of wet mittens — Merle Crowell
2. : resembling wool or that of wool
a woolly fog
a woolly beard
3.
a. : thickly covered with long hair or fuzz
woolly cloth coats
a child's woolly bunny
specifically : lanate
b. of lumber : that dresses with a stringy or fuzzy surface
alder is inclined to be woolly and should be sanded — Andrew Wood & Thomas Linn
4. : wanting in clearness, definiteness, or sharpness of outline : confused , blurry
substitute clear and distinct ideas for vague and woolly ones — F.R.Cowell
woolly thinking
the guides confessed that they were somewhat woolly on dates — Time
: indistinct
the woolly sound of a worn record
woolly lithographs from old plates
5. : marked by a sometimes violent lack of order or restraint ; typically : having the rough virility of the West in frontier times
II. noun
also wool·ie or wooly ˈwu̇lē, -li
( plural woollies or woolies )
Etymology: wool (I) + -y or -ie, n. suffix
1. : a garment made from wool: as
a. chiefly Britain : a woolen sweater
b. : underclothing of knitted wool — usually used in plural
2. West & Australia : sheep
III. noun
or wooly ˈwu̇lē, -li
( plural woollies or woolies )
Etymology: by shortening & alteration
: williwaw