† eyelyadj.
Obsolete. rare.
1. Visible to the eye. Cf. eyeable adj. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [adjective]
i-seyenlyeOE
iseneOE
senec1175
seyelyc1225
visiblea1340
seena1398
sighty1398
seeablea1425
spectablec1440
sightfulc1480
sightly1532
appearingc1550
discernable1561
eyely1561
discoverable1572
spectible1581
observable1589
visive1598
aspectable1612
observant1615
perspicable1621
perspiculative1623
remarkable1623
eyeable1633
visory1633
appearable1651
dignoscible1671
discernible1678
traceable1748
noticeable1753
visual1757
distinguishable1762
1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalips lxxx. 555 A certen eyely and euident demonstration.
1654 Cotton's Brief Expos. Canticles (rev. ed.) iv. 79 Behold, behold, twice repeated [in Song of Sol. 4:1], argueth, this Fairenesse, or Beauty, was very eyely, and conspicuous, or discernable.
2. Pleasing to the eye; = eyeable adj. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [adjective]
faireOE
comelyOE
winlyOE
goodlyOE
hendya1250
hendc1275
quaintc1300
seemlyc1305
tidya1325
avenant1340
honestc1384
sightya1387
properc1390
well beseena1393
queema1400
speciousa1400
featousc1400
parisantc1400
rekenc1400
well-favoureda1438
wellc1450
spectable?a1475
delicatec1480
jollya1500
bonny?a1513
snog1513
viewlyc1536
goodlikec1550
sightly1555
sightful1565
beholdinga1586
eyesome?1587
decent1600
vage1604
prospicuous1605
eyely1614
fashionable1630
well-looking1638
softa1643
fineish1647
well-looked1660
of a good (also ugly, etc.) look1700
likely-looked1709
sonsy1720
smiling1725
aspectable1731
smirkya1758
likely-looking1771
respectable1776
magnificent-looking1790
producible1792
presentable1800
good-looking1804
nice-looking1807
bonnyish1855
spick1882
eyeable1887
aegyo2007
1614 G. Markham 2nd Bk. Eng. Husbandman ii. vii. 88 They [sc. cattle] are of slender shape, leane-thighed, crumple-horned, and oft tender and dry skinned..and indeede are nothing so eyely and Market-able, as those beasts are which are bred in Yorke-shire, Darby-shire, Lancashire, and such like.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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adj.1561