willy

• Rhymes: -ɪli

From Middle English willy, willi, equivalent to will +‎ -y. Cognate with Dutch willig (“obedient, hearsome”), German willig (“willing”), Swedish villig (“willing, agreeable”).

willy (comparative willier or more willy, superlative williest or most willy)

1. (obsolete) Willing; favourable; ready; eager.
2. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) Self-willed; willful.

• ill-willy
• evil-willy

From Middle English wilȝe, from Old English wiliġ (“willow”). More at willow.

willy (plural willies)

1. Alternative form of willow

From Middle English wilie, from Old English wiliġe, wileġe (“basket”), from Proto-Germanic *wiligō (“wicker basket”), from Proto-Indo-European *weliko- (“willow-tree”). More at weel, willow.

willy (plural willies)

1. (Britain dialectal) A willow basket.
2. (Britain dialectal) A fish basket.

• Possibly a contraction of Latin membrum virile, male member (that is, the penis), a Latin term used in English in the nineteenth century; also possibly the simple use of a proper name as a pet name; compare dick, fanny and peter.

• willie

willy (plural willies)

1. (hypocoristic, slang, childish) the penis.
2. (Britain, childish) Term of abuse.

• (penis): peter, johnson, wee-wee; see also Thesaurus:penis

• willie

willy (plural willies)

1. (espionage) A person who is manipulated into serving as a useful agent without knowing it.

• the willies
• willy willy
• willy-nilly