jelly

1 of 3

noun

jel·​ly ˈje-lē How to pronounce jelly (audio)
plural jellies
1
: a soft somewhat elastic food product made usually with gelatin or pectin
especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit
2
: a substance resembling jelly in consistency
3
4
: a state of fear or irresolution
5
: a shapeless structureless mass : pulp
jellylike adjective

jelly

2 of 3

verb

jellied; jellying

intransitive verb

1
: jell
2
: to make jelly

transitive verb

: to bring to the consistency of jelly

jelly

3 of 3

adjective

slang
: jealous
"I'm jelly," declared Jon Osborne of Pardi's white, sparkly jacket, complete with flowers …Taylor Weatherby

Examples of jelly in a Sentence

Noun a selection of different jellies and jams He spread some jelly on his toast. a jar of grape jelly a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a meat glaze made with stock and jelly Verb this fruit juice is taking longer to jelly than I expected
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Another lip mask with a non-sticky formula, the elegant jelly melts into skin and restores lips to their ideal soft, full condition. Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 5 Dec. 2024 These plants produce intriguing purple flowers and edible fruit that can be eaten off the vine or turned into jelly. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
The depths are a swirl of tapioca, agar-agar and basil seeds like a hundred tiny eyes, jellied on the outside with a crunch within. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 24 May 2018 From here, the longest run in the region is a leg-jellying 15 kilometer, 2,000-meter descent back down to Gaislachkogl. CNN, 26 Oct. 2017
Adjective
Dinner was simpler, offering peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, potato chips, whole wheat bread, fruit and a beverage option on offer. Lauryn Overhultz, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024 Following Wednesday’s ruling, Combs is reportedly set for a Thanksgiving dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and fruit. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jelly 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gelly, from Anglo-French gelee, from feminine of gelé, past participle of geler to freeze, congeal, from Latin gelare — more at cold

Adjective

jeal(ous) + -y entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jelly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near jelly

Cite this Entry

“Jelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jelly. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

jelly

1 of 2 noun
jel·​ly ˈjel-ē How to pronounce jelly (audio)
plural jellies
1
: a food with a soft elastic consistency due usually to gelatin or pectin
especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit
2
: a substance resembling jelly
jellylike adjective

jelly

2 of 2 verb
jellied; jellying

Medical Definition

jelly

noun
jel·​ly ˈjel-ē How to pronounce jelly (audio)
plural jellies
1
: a soft somewhat elastic food product made usually with gelatin or pectin
especially : a fruit product made by boiling sugar and the juice of fruit
2
: a substance resembling jelly in consistency: as
a
: a transparent elastic gel
b
: a semisolid medicated or cosmetic preparation often having a gum base and usually intended for local application
ephedrine jelly
c
: a jellylike preparation used in electrocardiography to obtain better conduction of electricity
electrode jelly

More from Merriam-Webster on jelly

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