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sully
11 dictionary results for: sully
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sul·ly       [suhl-ee] Pronunciation Key verb, -lied, -ly·ing, noun, plural -lies.
–verb (used with object)
1.to soil, stain, or tarnish.
2.to mar the purity or luster of; defile: to sully a reputation.
–verb (used without object)
3.to become sullied, soiled, or tarnished.
–noun
4.Obsolete. a stain; soil.

[Origin: 1585–95; orig. uncert.]

sul·li·a·ble, adjective

1. taint, blemish, contaminate. 2. dirty, disgrace, dishonor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
Sul·ly       [suhl-ee; for 1 also Fr. sy-lee] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.Ma·xi·mi·lien de Bé·thune       [mak-see-mee-lyan duh bey-tyn] Pronunciation Key, Duc de, 1560–1641, French statesman.
2.Thomas, 1783–1872, U.S. painter, born in England.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sul·ly       (sŭl'ē)  Pronunciation Key 
tr.v.   sul·lied, sul·ly·ing, sul·lies
  1. To mar the cleanness or luster of; soil or stain.
  2. To defile; taint.

n.   pl. sul·lies Archaic
Something that stains or spots.


[Probably from French souiller, from Old French; see soil2.]

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Sul·ly       (sŭl'ē, sōō-lē', sü-)  Pronunciation Key 
French politician. As chief minister to Henry IV, he replenished the treasury and encouraged agriculture and industry.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Sul·ly       (sŭl'ē)  Pronunciation Key 
British-born American painter of portraits and historical scenes, such as Washington's Passage of the Delaware (c. 1818).

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sully 
1571 (implied in sulliedness), probably from M.Fr. souiller, from O.Fr. souillier "make dirty" (see soil (v.)).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
sully

noun
1. United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872) 
2. French statesman (1560-1641) 

verb
1. place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's reputation" [syn: defile
2. make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man" [syn: tarnish
3. charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation" [syn: defame

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Sully County, SD (county, FIPS 119) Location: 44.71483 N, 100.13090 W
Population (1990): 1589 (811 housing units)
Area: 2608.0 sq km (land), 164.4 sq km (water)

Sully, IA (city, FIPS 76035) Location: 41.57864 N, 92.84646 W
Population (1990): 841 (333 housing units)
Area: 1.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50251

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sully

Sul"ly\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sullied; p. pr. & vb. n. Sullying.] [OE. sulien, AS. sylian, fr. sol mire; akin to G. suhle mire, sich, s["u]hlen to wallow, Sw. s["o]la to bemire, Dan. s["o]le, Goth. bisaulijan to defile.] To soil; to dirty; to spot; to tarnish; to stain; to darken; -- used literally and figuratively; as, to sully a sword; to sully a person's reputation.

Statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke. --Roscommon.

No spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity. --Atterbury.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sully

Sul"ly\, v. i. To become soiled or tarnished.

Silvering will sully and canker more than gilding. --Bacon.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sully

Sul"ly\, n.; pl. Sullies. Soil; tarnish; stain.

A noble and triumphant merit breaks through little spots and sullies in his reputation. --Spectator.

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