hurly-burly

  • 1Hurly-burly — Hur ly bur ly, n. [Reduplicated fr. OE. hurly confusion: cf. F. hurler to howl, yell, L. ululare; or cf. E. hurry.] Tumult; bustle; confusion. Shak. [1913 Webster] All places were filled with tumult and hurly burly. Knolles. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2hurly-burly — [hʉr′lē bʉr′lē] n. pl. hurly burlies [prob. extended < HURLY] a turmoil; uproar; hubbub; confusion adj. disorderly and confused …

    English World dictionary

  • 3Hurly Burly — (engl.), 1) arges Getös; 2) Alles durch einander, wie Kraut u. Rüben; 3) Freudengeschrei der englischen Matrosen; 4) ohne alle Umstände, gerade zu …

    Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • 4hurly-burly — also hurlyburly, 1530s, apparently an alteration of phrase hurling and burling, reduplication of 14c. hurling commotion, tumult, verbal noun of HURL (Cf. hurl) (q.v.). Hurling time was the name applied by chroniclers to the period of tumult and… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 5hurly-burly — ► NOUN ▪ busy, boisterous activity. ORIGIN from HURL(Cf. ↑hurl) …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6hurly-burly — [[t]hɜ͟ː(r)li bɜː(r)li[/t]] N SING: usu the N, oft N of n (emphasis) If you talk about the hurly burly of a situation, you are emphasizing how noisy or busy it is. No one expects him to get involved in the hurly burly of campaigning …

    English dictionary

  • 7hurly-burly — noun Etymology: probably alteration & reduplication of hurling, gerund of hurl Date: 1539 uproar, tumult • hurly burly adjective …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 8hurly-burly — hur|ly bur|ly [ˈhə:li ˌbə:li US ˌhə:rli ˈbə:rli] n [U] [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: Probably from hurl] a lot of busy noisy activity ▪ the hurly burly of city life …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 9hurly-burly — noun (U) a lot of busy, noisy activity: the hurly burly of city life …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10hurly-burly — /herr lee berr lee, berr /, n., pl. hurly burlies, adj. n. 1. noisy disorder and confusion; commotion; uproar; tumult. adj. 2. full of commotion; tumultuous. [1520 30; alter. of hurling (and) burling, rhyming phrase based on HURLING in its (now… …

    Universalium