willy
A willow basketA willow basket.
» Tom's face turned red as he accidentally flashed his willy while changing at the gym.
Том почервонів, випадково показавши усім свого пісюна, переодягаючись у спортзалі.
Meaning
5 senses(UK, dialectal)A willow basket.
(UK, dialectal)A fish basket.
(Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, childish, dialectal, slang)The penis.
Little Johnny got his willy stuck in his zipper.
Pimmel, Schniedel, Pullermann
писю́нpisjún, писю́нчикpisjúnčik
(UK, childish, dialectal)A term of abuse.
You're a big fat willy! So shut up!!
(UK, dialectal)A person who is manipulated into serving as a useful agent without knowing it.
Examples
12 sentencesTom's face turned red as he accidentally flashed his willy while changing at the gym.
Том почервонів, випадково показавши усім свого пісюна, переодягаючись у спортзалі.
Don't throw your clothes into a drawer willy-nilly.
deWirf deine Sachen nicht einfach so in eine Schublade!
They made decisions willy-nilly, without any proper discussion or strategy.
You can't just walk out willy-nilly!
Mum, my willy's all hard.
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English wilie, from Old English wiliġe (“wicker basket”), from Proto-West GermFrom Middle English wilie, from Old English wiliġe (“wicker basket”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiligijā, from Proto-Indo-European *weliko- (“willow-tree”). More at weel, willow.
Originally northern British usage, from the 1960s. Probably the simple use of a proper name as a pet name; compare dick, fanny and peter. Unlikely to be a contraction of Latin membrum virile, male member (that is, the penis), a Latin term used in English in the 19th century.
Perhaps a shortening of willy-nilly, an old way of saying “whether one wants to or not”, here referring to the person being used as an agent without their knowledge, i.e. regardless of their will.
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