First published 1914; not yet revised
spindlyadjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective spindly mean?
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective spindly. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the adjective spindly?
About 0.3occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1770 | 0.0054 |
| 1780 | 0.0058 |
| 1790 | 0.005 |
| 1800 | 0.0029 |
| 1810 | 0.0039 |
| 1820 | 0.0039 |
| 1830 | 0.0041 |
| 1840 | 0.0059 |
| 1850 | 0.0087 |
| 1860 | 0.011 |
| 1870 | 0.015 |
| 1880 | 0.02 |
| 1890 | 0.029 |
| 1900 | 0.045 |
| 1910 | 0.075 |
| 1920 | 0.12 |
| 1930 | 0.17 |
| 1940 | 0.2 |
| 1950 | 0.23 |
| 1960 | 0.26 |
| 1970 | 0.28 |
| 1980 | 0.3 |
| 1990 | 0.33 |
| 2000 | 0.35 |
| 2010 | 0.37 |
How is the adjective spindly pronounced?
British English
/ˈspɪndli/
SPIND-lee
U.S. English
/ˈspɪn(d)li/
SPIND-lee
Where does the adjective spindly come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1600s
The earliest known use of the adjective spindly is in the mid 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for spindly is from 1655, in the writing of B. W.
spindly is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: spindle n., ‑y suffix1.
Nearby entries
- spindle-shaped, adj.1776–
- spindle-side, n.1851–
- spindle-stromb, n.1861–
- spindle-tree, n.1548–
- spindle-whirl, n.1648
- spindle-whorl, n.1874–
- spindle-wood, n.1712–
- spindle-worm, n.1839–
- spindling, n.1441–
- spindling, adj.1750–
- spindly, adj.1655–
- spin doctor, n.1984–
- spin-down, n.1963–
- spin-down, adj.1965–
- spindrift, n.a1614–
- spin-dry, v.1927–
- spin dryer, n.1939–
- spin-dye, v.1948–
- spine, n.¹c1400–
- spine, n.²1786–
- spine, v.1621–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for spindly, adj.
spindly, adj. was first published in 1914; not yet revised.
spindly, adj. was last modified in September 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into spindly, adj. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1914)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for spindly, adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- spindle-shaped, adj.1776–
- spindle-side, n.1851–
- spindle-stromb, n.1861–
- spindle-tree, n.1548–
- spindle-whirl, n.1648
- spindle-whorl, n.1874–
- spindle-wood, n.1712–
- spindle-worm, n.1839–
- spindling, n.1441–
- spindling, adj.1750–
- spindly, adj.1655–
- spin doctor, n.1984–
- spin-down, n.1963–
- spin-down, adj.1965–
- spindrift, n.a1614–
- spin-dry, v.1927–
- spin dryer, n.1939–
- spin-dye, v.1948–
- spine, n.¹c1400–
- spine, n.²1786–
- spine, v.1621–
