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Did you know: Yes, the stuff that forms in your eyes when you sleep does have a name.

willy-nilly

 - 3 dictionary results

wil·ly-nil·ly

   [wil-ee-nil-ee]
–adverb
1.
in a disorganized or unplanned manner; sloppily.
2.
whether one wishes to or not; willingly or unwillingly: He'll have to do it willy-nilly.
–adjective
3.
shilly-shallying; vacillating.
4.
disorganized, unplanned; sloppy: willy-nilly work.
Use willy-nilly in a Sentence
Origin:
1600–10; from the phrase will ye, nill ye. See will1, nill
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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World English Dictionary
willy-nilly (ˌwɪlɪˈnɪlɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adv
1.  whether desired or not
2.  haphazardly
 
—adj
3.  occurring or taking place whether desired or not
4.  occurring haphazardly
 
[Old English wile hē, nyle hē, literally: will he or will he not; nyle, from ne not + willan to will1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Word Origin & History

willy-nilly
1608, contraction of will I, nill I, or will he, nill he, or will ye, nill ye, lit. "with or without the will of the person concerned." The nill is from O.E. nyllan, from ne "no" (see no) + *willan "will" (v.). Latin expressed a similar idea in nolens volens.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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