wilily
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Adverb
[edit]wilily (comparative more wilily, superlative most wilily)
- In a wily manner.
- 1533 (date written), Thomas More, “The Debellacyon of Salem and Bizance […]. Chapter XVIJ.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 1004, column 2:
- And as wililye as thoſe ſhrewes that beguyle hym haue holpe hym to inuolue and intryke the matter: I ſhall vſe ſo playn and open a way therin, that euery man ſhall well ſee the trouth.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Joshua 9:4:
- They did worke wilily, and went and made as if they had beene embaſſadours, and tooke old ſackes vpon their aſſes, and wine-bottels, old, and rent, and bound vp, […]