molly
- 01 A1 Beginner
a common nickname for the names Mary or Margaret.
a diminutive form of the female given names Mary or Margaret.
Simple“My aunt's name is Mary, but everyone in the family calls her Molly.”
In context“While her legal documents state Margaret, she has gone by Molly since her early childhood in Dublin.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a small, colourful tropical fish often kept in home aquariums.
any of several small, live-bearing tropical fish of the genus Poecilia, popular in the aquarium trade.
Simple“He added two black mollies to his fish tank yesterday.”
In context“The common molly is highly prized by amateur aquarists for its hardiness and variety of colour morphs.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a slang name for the drug MDMA, usually in powder or crystal form.
a slang term for the drug MDMA, specifically referring to the substance in a powdered or crystalline state rather than pill form.
Simple“The police warned the public about the dangers of taking molly at music festivals.”
In context“The rise of molly in the club scene has been attributed to its reputation for being a purer form of ecstasy.”
UsageUncountable in this sense.
SynonymsMDMAecstasy
From Moll, diminutive lambdacism of Mary + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.