Dooly

name, noun

name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A basic Indian litter or sedan chair made of poles, ropes, and a seat or cloth. India, historical

    "The dhulí is a slight bamboo framework covered with coarse cloth, about two and a half feet square, with a bedding made of string woven across, on which the passenger sits. It is slung on a stout bamboo pole, and carried by two or four men."

  2. 2
    Synonym of stretcher, a basic litter used for transport of the ill and injured. India, archaic

    "He also, in conjunction with Private John Ryan, rushed into the street under a heavy fire, and took Captain Arnold, 1st Madras Fusiliers, out of a dooly, and brought him into the house, that officer being again hit while they were so doing."

  3. 3
    Synonym of litter of whatever type. India, obsolete
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Example

More examples

"The dhulí is a slight bamboo framework covered with coarse cloth, about two and a half feet square, with a bedding made of string woven across, on which the passenger sits. It is slung on a stout bamboo pole, and carried by two or four men."

Etymology

From Hindi डोली (ḍolī), from डोला (ḍolā, “litter”) + -ई (-ī, “forming diminutives”), from Sanskrit दोल (dōlā, “dangling cradle; litter”), from दुल् (dul, “to swing”). Compare andor from Sanskrit हिन्दोल (hindola) via Portuguese.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.