Meanings
nounfalse holly (usually uncountable, plural false hollies)
plural false hollies
- uncountableusuallyA flowering shrub or tree of species Osmanthus heterophyllus, in the olive family, native to East Asia.
Synonyms: holly olive, holly osmanthus
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA flowering shrub or tree of species Osmanthus heterophyllus, in the olive family, native to East Asia.
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Origin
From the superficial similarity of its leaves to true holly trees of the genus Ilex.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
false holly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20holly
MLA
“false holly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20holly. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “false holly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/false%20holly.
Source: false holly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.