thoroly

English

Etymology

Proposed as a phonetic spelling of thoroughly in 1898 by the American National Education Association.

Adverb

thoroly (comparative more thoroly, superlative most thoroly)

(rare) Alternative spelling of thoroughly
- 1915, Irving Langmuir, “The Pure Electron Discharge and Its Applications in Radio Telegraphy and Telephony”, in Alfred N. Goldsmith, editor, Proceedings of the IRE‎^[1], volume 3, number 3, The Institute of Radio Engineers, published 1915, page 269:
  It was also necessary to free the glass surfaces very much more thoroly from gas than had been thought necessary previously.
- 1916, William J. Robinson, MD, Birth Control or the Limitation of Offspring‎^[2], Reprint edition, Wildside Press, published 2007, →ISBN, page 150:
  But there are now not a few well-to-do, well-known and influential men and women who thoroly believe that teaching the poor ...
- 1920 May, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 78, column 2:
  Thoroly disgusted by now, he straightened up one night, tube in hand, his eye searching the particular spot on the wall where it would give the greatest satisfaction to shatter the offending bulb.
- 1920, Arthur E. Bostwick, PhD, Librarian's Open Shelf Essays on Various Subjects‎^[3], HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2004:
  We can scarcely expect that each of our five hundred assistants should be thoroly imbued with the spirit of helpfulness toward the schools or even that they should perfectly understand what we desire and aim to do.
- 1983, Robert Simon, Percy Grainger: The Pictorial Biography‎^[4], GIA Publications, →ISBN:
  Swedish and German Ellan and I can easily teah you (if you care to learn them), which would set you up thoroly on the language side. Music I will develop you in thoroly, if you care to work with me.
- Kenneth Helrich (1990) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists: “Mix thoroly, shake occasionally during 10 min. and filter thru dry folded paper, discarding first few mL filtrate. [Note the use of "thru," another phonetic spelling proposed by the American National Education Association.]”
- 2003, NW Walker, Raw Vegetable Juices: What's Missing in Your Body‎^[5], Health Research Books, →ISBN, page 68:
  It is, therefore, of extreme importance to clean the vegetables thoroly …

Usage notes

This spelling is seldom found nowadays. However, the spelling is occasionally employed as shorthand. This spelling is used extensively in the 1951 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.

Related terms

References

H.L. Mencken (1921) The American Language:
Twelve years later the National Education Association received the movement with a proposal that a beginning be made with a very short list of reformed spellings, and nominated the following by way of experiment: tho, altho, thru, through, thoro, thoroly, thorofare, program, prolog, catalog, pedagog and decalog.