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folly - 4 dictionary results

fol⋅ly

[fol-ee]
–noun, plural -lies for 2–6.
1. the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
2. a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.
3. a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
4. Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found esp. in England in the 18th century.
5. follies, a theatrical revue.
6. Obsolete. wickedness; wantonness.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME folie < OF, deriv. of fol, fou foolish, mad. See fool 1


2. imprudence, rashness, mistake, foolishness, indiscretion, injudiciousness; madness, lunacy.
fol·ly   (fŏl'ē)   
n.   pl. fol·lies
  1. A lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight.
    1. An act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth.
    2. A costly undertaking having an absurd or ruinous outcome.
    3. Perilously or criminally foolish action.
    4. Evil; wickedness.
    5. Lewdness; lasciviousness.
  2. follies (used with a sing. or pl. verb) An elaborate theatrical revue consisting of music, dance, and skits.
  3. Obsolete
    1. Perilously or criminally foolish action.
    2. Evil; wickedness.
    3. Lewdness; lasciviousness.

[Middle English folie, from Old French, from fol, foolish, from Late Latin follis, windbag, fool; see fool.]

Folly

Fol"ly\, n.; pl. Follies. [OE. folie, foli, F. folie, fr. fol, fou, foolish, mad. See Fool.]

1. The state of being foolish; want of good sense; levity, weakness, or derangement of mind.

2. A foolish act; an inconsiderate or thoughtless procedure; weak or light-minded conduct; foolery.

What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill. --Shak.

3. Scandalous crime; sin; specifically, as applied to a woman, wantonness.

[Achan] wrought folly in Israel. --Josh. vii. 15.

When lovely woman stoops to folly. --Goldsmith.

4. The result of a foolish action or enterprise.

It is called this man's or that man's "folly," and name of the foolish builder is thus kept alive for long after years. --Trench.
Language Translation for : folly
Spanish: locura,
German: die Torheit,
Japanese: 愚かさ

folly 
c.1225, from O.Fr. folie, from fol (see fool). Sense of "costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder" is attested from 1654. Used since M.E. of place names, especially country estates, as a form of O.Fr. folie in its meaning "delight." Meaning "glamorous theatrical revue with lots of pretty girls" is from 1880, from Fr.
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