different between pansy vs palsy

English

Etymology

From Middle French pensée (“thought”), as the plant resembles someone that is in deep thought, with a lowered head.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pæn.zi/

Noun

pansy (plural pansies)

1. A cultivated flowering plant, derived by hybridization within species Viola tricolor.
2. A deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.

3. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Junonia. Also called arguses.
4. (derogatory, colloquial) A timid, weak man or boy; a wuss.
5. (derogatory, colloquial, dated) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.

Synonyms

• (male homosexual): friend of Dorothy, omi-palone; see also Thesaurus:male homosexual
• (effeminate man): mama's boy, sissy; see also Thesaurus:effeminate man
• (timid man or boy): mama's boy, nancy boy, sissy; see also Thesaurus:milksop

Translations

Adjective

pansy (not comparable)

1. Wimpy; spineless; feeble.
2. Of a deep purple colour, like that of the pansy.

Derived terms

• wild pansy
• pansified
• pansification

Related terms

• pensive
• poise
• peso

Translations

Verb

pansy (third-person singular simple present pansies, present participle pansying, simple past and past participle pansied)

1. (slang, intransitive, usually with "around" or "about") To mess about; to fail to get things done.

See also

• heartsease
• Johnny-jump-up
• Appendix:Colors

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English palesie, from Anglo-Norman paralisie, parleisie et al., from Latin paralysis, from Ancient Greek ????????? (parálusis, “palsy”), from ??????? (paralú?, “to disable on one side”), from ????- (para-, “beside”) + ??? (lú?, “loosen”). Doublet of paralysis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p??lzi/

Noun

palsy (countable and uncountable, plural palsies)

1. (pathology) Complete or partial muscle paralysis of a body part, often accompanied by a loss of feeling and uncontrolled body movements such as shaking.
   • c. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665):

     The palsie plagues my pulses
     when I prigg yo?: piggs or pullen
     your culuers take, or matchles make
     your Chanticleare or sullen

   Synonym: paralysis

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

palsy (third-person singular simple present palsies, present participle palsying, simple past and past participle palsied)

1. To paralyse, either completely or partially.
   • 1831, William Lloyd Garrison, The Liberator, To The Public [1]

     In the month of August, I issued proposals for publishing "THE LIBERATOR" in Washington city; but the enterprise, though hailed in different sections of the country, was palsied by public indifference.

   • 1826, Mary Shelley, The Last Man, volume 2, chapter 9

     Its streets were blocked up with snow - the few passengers seemed palsied with snow, and frozen by the ungenial visitation of winter.

Etymology 2

From pals +? -y.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pælzi/

Adjective

palsy (comparative more palsy, superlative most palsy)

1. (colloquial) Chummy, friendly.

Further reading

• palsy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• palsy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• palsy at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• plays, splay, spyal