loblolly

L1O1B3L1O1L1L1Y4

noun

Gruel.

UncommonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounloblolly (countable and uncountable, plural loblollies)

plural loblollies · alternative lob-lolly · alternative lob lolly · alternative loblollie · alternative lob-lollie · alternative loplolly

  1. countabledialectaluncountablenauticalGruel.
  2. UKcountabledialectaluncountableA thick stew; lobscouse or similar.
  3. SouthernUScountableuncountableA mudhole.

    he and Narcissa paddled and splashed with tucked-up garments and muddy bottoms, after the crudest of whittled boats, or made loblollies by treading and treading in one spot with the intense oblivion of alchemists.

    1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 122
  4. countabledialectaluncountableA bumpkin or lout.

    Whil'st he, not dreaming of thy folly, Lies gaping like a great Lob-lolly

    1675, Lucian (trans. Charles Cotton), Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The scoffer scoft, 86
    5 more examples

    1694, François Rabelais, (trans. Thomas Urquhart and Peter Antony Motteux), The Fourth Book. This also is to be as silly as that jolt-headed loblolly of a carter, who, having laid his waggon fast in a slough, down on his marrow-bones was calling on the strong-backed deity, Hercules, might and main, to help him at a dead lift, but all the while forgot to goad on his oxen and lay his shoulder to the wheels, as it behoved him; as if a Lord have mercy upon us alone would have got his cart out of the mire.

    1777, Charles Shadwell, "The fair quaker of deal", in Bell's British Theatre, pages 21 to 22, OCLC 2986037. If he would force the surgeon to cure us at the government's charge, it would be a mighty encouragement to us; but our rogue of a loblolly doctor, being not satisfied with his two-pences, must have a note for two months pay for every cure …

    A yellow-eyed collie Was guarding his coat- Loose-limbed and lob-lolly, But wise and remote.

    1914, Macmillan's Annual, page 46, OCLC 609887069

    [...] there's this great, lob-lolly, hectoring Tom Button fast i' the pillory [...]

    1920, Jeffery Farnol, Black Bartlemy's Treasure, published 2004, →ISBN, page 62

    There was a wave of slackness, and young men preferred to remain lob-lolly lesser Hindus than to follow their fathers' stern creed.

    1932, Journal of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, volume 80, page 185
  5. countableuncountableLoblolly pine (Pinus taeda).
  6. countableuncountableLoblolly bay (plant).
verbloblolly (third-person singular simple present loblollies, present participle loblollying, simple past and past participle loblollied)

present singular third person loblollies · participle present loblollying · participle past loblollied · past loblollied · alternative lob-lolly · alternative lob lolly · alternative loblollie · alternative lob-lollie · alternative loplolly

  1. To behave in a loutish manner.

    1898, William Black, Wild Eelin, page 174, OCLC 2066856. You'd rather lob-lolly about these refreshment-rooms, and stuff yourselves until you can't stir.

Origin

From Yorkshire dialect lob (“boil”, literally “bubbling up”) + dialect lolly (“broth”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

loblolly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loblolly

MLA

“loblolly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loblolly. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “loblolly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/loblolly.

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