lancely

English

Etymology

From lance +‎ -ly.

Adjective

lancely (comparative more lancely, superlative most lancely)

1. (obsolete) Like a lance; lancelike.
   • c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:

     […] and by him a dosen apparelled like shepherds for the fashion, though rich in stuffe, who caried his launces, which though strong to giue a launcely blow indeed, yet so were they couloured with hooks neere the mourn, that they pretily represẽted shephooks.

   • 1811, Walter Wade, Salices: Or An Essay Towards a General History of Sallows, Willows, & Osiers, Their Uses, and Best Methods of Propagating and Cultivating Them, Graisberry & Campbell, Salix Spathulata, Willdenow.–Spatulate-leaved willow., page 325:

     Leaves lancely egg-shaped recurvedly acute, sawed at their extremities, upper surface pubescent, underneath roughly veiny and downy ; stipules lance-shaped. TR.

   • 1885, Mary Barker Dodge, The Gray Masque: And Other Poems, D. Lothrop & Co., page 80:

     Between two lancely shields of green, each golden
     censer swings,
     And, heedless of our northern cold, its fragrant
     incense flings.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “lancely”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

Anagrams

• cleanly