Shelta

noun

Shel·​ta

ˈsheltə

plural -s

: a secret jargon of the tinkers and kindred groups still spoken to some extent in Great Britain and Ireland and consisting chiefly of a systematic deformation of Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!