Meanings
comparative more moonly · superlative most moonly
- archaicOf, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Moon; lunar; moonlike.
Here and there were young moonly faces selling refreshments.
1839, James Silk Buckingham, John Sterling, Frederick Denison Maurice, The Athenæum2 more examples
Then, the regenerative process will be changed; the moonly changes will begin to go the reverse way around the zodiac. Ladies will observe that the time of their moonly weakness will come one sign earlier or about two and a half days […]
1888, Hiram Erastus Butler, The EsotericWhen the Gopis looked towards the fruit-laden trees lit up with the moonly light, the Gallant-lover remarked, "fruits I alone can reward and this is best congenial atmosphere to beg to to^([sic]) Me.
1983, Vyāsa, Viśvanātha Cakravartin, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati, Srimad Bhāgavatam of Sri Krishnadvaipāyana Vyāsa - archaicbroadlyLunatic.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*mānalīk“pertaining to the moon, moon-like”
- Old Englishmōnlīċ“lunar”
- Middle Englishmonelich
- Englishmoonly
From Middle English monelich, from Old English mōnlīċ (“lunar”), from Proto-West Germanic *mānalīk (“pertaining to the moon, moon-like”), equivalent to moon + -ly. Cognate with Middle Dutch maenlijc (“moonly, lunar”), German mondlich (“lunar”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
moonly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonly
“moonly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moonly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moonly.
Source: moonly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.