googly
/ˈɡuɡli/ noun, adjective
Forms googlies googlier googliest
- noun (cricket) A ball, bowled by a leg-break bowler, that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery. “His weakness in batting is against googly.”
- adjective (of the eyes) Bulging.
- adjective (usually of eyes, sometimes of persons) Appearing to be amorous, flirtatious.
Synonyms
Etymology
Unknown; perhaps derived from googie (“an egg, in reference to the unusual direction of bounce”). Though the delivery was perfected and made famous by English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet, circa 1900, the term is recorded earlier in Australian English (1896).
Uncertain. Perhaps from goo-goo (“amorous”), or directly from goggle. Attested from 1901.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “googly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details