# hairy molly

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hairy-molly
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A hairy caterpillar.

## Examples

- Look at that hairy molly on the leaf.
- The children were excited to find a fuzzy hairy molly crawling across the garden path.
- While hiking through the dense forest, she carefully avoided touching the hairy molly resting upon the branch.

## Origin

Probably a compound of the English *hairy* and the Irish *malaí*, the latter literally meaning eyebrows. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.