English

Alternative forms

• Willie

Proper noun

Willy ‎(plural Willys)

1. A male given name, diminutive of William.

Danish

Alternative forms

• Villy

Proper noun

Willy

1. A male given name borrowed from English or German.

German

Alternative forms

• Willi

Proper noun

Willy

1. A male given name, diminutive of Wilhelm or of any name beginning with the Germanic element will- such as Wilfried.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Willy

1. A male given name borrowed from English or German.

Swedish

Alternative forms

• Villy

Proper noun

Willy

1. A male given name borrowed from English or German.

English

Adjective

willy ‎(comparative willier or more willy, superlative williest or most willy)

1. (obsolete) Willing; favourable; ready; eager.
2. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) Self-willed; willful.

Related terms

• ill-willy
• evil-willy

Etymology 2

From Middle English wilȝe, from Old English wiliġ ‎(“willow”). More at willow.

Noun

willy ‎(plural willies)

1. Alternative form of willow

Etymology 3

From Middle English wilie, from Old English wiliġe, wileġe ‎(“basket”), from Proto-Germanic *wiligō ‎(“wicker basket”), from Proto-Indo-European *weliko- ‎(“willow-tree”). More at weel, willow.

Noun

willy ‎(plural willies)

1. (Britain dialectal) A willow basket.
2. (Britain dialectal) A fish basket.

Etymology 4

• Possibly a contraction of Latin membrum virile, male member (that is, the ****), a Latin term used in English in the nineteenth century; also possibly the simple use of a proper name as a pet name; compare dick, fanny and peter.

Alternative forms

• willie

Noun

willy ‎(plural willies)

1. (hypocoristic, slang, childish) the ****.
2. (Britain) a person whom the speaker dislikes.

Synonyms

• peter, johnson, wee-wee; see also Wikisaurus:****

Translations

See also

• the willies
• willy willy
• willy-nilly