moly means A magic herb or plant used by Odysseus to overcome Circe.
moly is pronounced /ˈməʊli/.
Why “moly” is a great word
A mythical herb with a black root and white blossoms, provided by Hermes to Odysseus as a specific charm against Circe’s transformative sorcery. From Latin mōly, from Ancient Greek μῶλυ (môlu), a loanword of unknown, possibly pre-Greek, origin. Unlike an amulet, a general article carried for ongoing protection, or an antidote, a remedy for a physical toxin, moly is a singular, narrative device: a one-time magical inoculation against enchantment. It is the white flash of the flower against the dark earth of its root, the god’s whispered instructions in the hero’s ear, and the sudden, sober clarity in the bewitched air of the witch’s hall—a rare instance where the cure is as beautiful and strange as the curse.
Etymology
From Latin mōly, from Ancient Greek μῶλυ (môlu) (probably a loanword).
noun
- A magic herb or plant used by Odysseus to overcome Circe.e.g.“It excels Homers moly, cures this, falling sickness, and almost all other infirmities.”
- Any plant associated with the mythological moly, especially the European allium, Allium moly.
- Molybdenum.e.g.“The fuselage and tail unit were constructed of welded chrome-moly steel tubing, fabric covered, with two seats in one elongated open 'bathtub' cockpit.”
- Molybdenum grease.