cloy

To cloy is to be too much of something pleasant.

(verb)

An example of cloy is for a fruit pie to be far too sweet to finish even a slice.

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See cloy in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to surfeit, or make weary or displeased, by too much of something, esp. something sweet, rich, etc.

Origin: aphetic < ME acloien, to hamper, harm, obstruct < OFr encloyer, to fasten with a nail, hinder < clou, a nail < L clavus, nail: see close

Related Forms:

See cloy in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb cloyed, cloy·ing, cloys
verb, transitive
To cause distaste or disgust by supplying with too much of something originally pleasant, especially something rich or sweet; surfeit.
verb, intransitive
To be too filling, rich, or sweet.

Origin:

Origin: Short for obsolete accloy, to clog

Origin: , from Middle English acloien

Origin: , from Old French encloer, to drive a nail into

Origin: , from Medieval Latin inclāvāre

Origin: : Latin in-, in; see in-2

Origin: + Latin clāvāre, to nail (from clāvus, nail)

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Related Forms:

  • cloyˈing·ly adverb
  • cloyˈing·ness noun

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