holus-bolus

adverb

All together; entirely; without modification.

“to accept a story holus-bolus.”

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Meanings

adverbholus-bolus (not comparable)
  1. not comparableAll together; entirely; without modification.

    to accept a story holus-bolus.

    1 more example

    I’ll take it on my shoulders, holus bolus, blame and shame, my boy; but stay here, I cannot let you. Jump! One jump, and you’re out, and we’ll run for it like antelopes.

    1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC

Origin

Reduplication; further etymology unknown. Possibly of Ancient Greek origin, from ὅλος (hólos, “whole”) and βόλος (bólos, “a throw with a casting net”) or βῶλος (bôlos, “lump”). Alternatively, a pseudo-Latinism derived from a reduplication of bolus with whole. Compare similar pseudo-Latin reduplications such as hocus-pocus and omnium-gatherum.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian наведнъж
  • наведнъж (navednăž)all together, unmodified
Czech vcelku
  • vcelkuall together, unmodified
Italian in toto
  • in totoall together, unmodified
Polish naraz
  • narazall together, unmodified
Spanish completamente, totalmente
  • completamenteall together, unmodified
  • totalmenteall together, unmodified
Cite this entry
APA

holus-bolus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holus-bolus

MLA

“holus-bolus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holus-bolus. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holus-bolus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holus-bolus.

Source: holus-bolus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.