dolly

dolly · noun, verb¹

From doll + -y, from the given name Dorothy, originally applied either to a woman or female pet or to a children's toy, and expanded to refer to various types of contrivances or devices. The Online Etymology Dictionary, while considering the reason for applying it to such devices unobvious, compares how the names jack, jenny and jimmy are also applied to devices.

dolly · adjective²

1. Italian · derived fromdolce“sweet”
2. English todaydolly

Disputed. Most scholars derive the term from doll + -y, as Etymology 1, above. Linguist Ian Hancock, however, suggests derivation from Italian dolce (“sweet”).

dolly · noun³

1. Hindi · borrowed fromडाली
2. English todaydolly

From Hindi डाली (ḍālī).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 1790s A young woman, especially one who is frivolous or vapid.
• 1960s A fashionable young woman, one who follows the latest music or clothing fashions.