coly

C3O1L1Y4

noun

Any bird of either of the genera Colius or Urocolius, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.

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Meanings

coly1

nouncoly (plural colies)

plural colies

  1. Any bird of either of the genera Colius or Urocolius, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.

    First, their feathers grow continuously over their bodies without the bare spaces (apteria) between tracts most other birds have. This condition is shared only by the ostrich, the penguins, and the colies.

    1983, Oliver Luther Austin, Birds of the World, page 63
    1 more example

    1999, Michael A. Mares, Mousebird, entry in Encyclopedia of Deserts, page 378, Coliiformes is the only order of birds endemic to Africa. Six species from two genera (Urocolius and Colius) are recognized, all of which are sedentary. Mousebirds (also known as colies) range through sub-Saharan open savannas and are often common in such areas.

    Synonyms: mousebird

Coly2

proper noun
  1. A minor river, the River Coly, in East Devon, England, which joins the River Axe near Colyford.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny bird of either of the genera Colius or Urocolius, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.

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Origin

  1. New LatinColius
  2. Englishcoly

Learned borrowing from New Latin Colius.

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Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

coly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coly

MLA

“coly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coly.

Source: coly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.