colly
verb
col·ly ˈkä-lē 
collied; collying
transitive verb
dialectal, chiefly British
: to blacken with or as if with soot
Word History
Etymology
alteration of Middle English colwen, from Old English *colgian, from Old English col coal
First Known Use
1590, in the meaning defined above
collying
verb
as in draggling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- draggling
- disheveling
- disarraying
- dishevelling
- messing
- crocking
- disordering
- disarranging
- muddling
- jumbling
- distaining
- contaminating
- polluting
- discoloring
- confusing
- griming
- smirching
- gauming
- bemiring
- tainting
- defiling
- soiling
- mucking
- smudging
- sullying
- begriming
- dirtying
- besmirching
- staining
- befouling
- fouling
- miring
- daubing
- muddying
- blackening
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cleaning
- cleansing
- purging
- purifying
- decontaminating
- disinfecting
- sweeping
- brushing
- wiping
- washing
- dusting
- sanitizing
- rinsing
- scrubbing
- straightening (up)
- sprucing (up)
- scouring
- mopping
- tidying (up)
- renewing
- brightening
- freshening
- laundering
- deodorizing
- dry-cleaning