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cly

The English word “cly” has 2 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To seize; to steal.

noun

  1. A person's pocket.

Etymology

Probably related to claw (compare Low German kleien, klaien (“to claw, scratch, grasp, seize”), dialectal German klauen, kläuen, kleuen (“to steal”), German klauen (“to steal, rip off”)). Alternatively referred by some to Dutch kleed (“a garment”); "to fake a cly" was to take a garment.

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