kelter

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English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

See kilter.

Noun

kelter (uncountable)

  1. (British dialectal, US, chiefly in the negative) Archaic form of kilter (“(good) condition, form, or order; fettle”).
    • 1851, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Personal Memoirs Of A Residence Of Thirty Years With The Indian Tribes On The American Frontiers‎:
      Fiscal—Something has been out of kelter at Washington these two years with regard to the rigid application of appropriations, at least in the Indian Department.
    • 1867, William Henry Smyth, The Sailor’s Word-Book‎:
      —All over, resemblance to a particular object, as a ship in bad kelter: "she's a privateer all over."
    • 1910, Alexander Irvine, From the Bottom Up‎:
      It was intimated to me that such "frivolousness" was out of kelter with the profession of a Christian.
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Perhaps related to gelt.

Noun

kelter (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete, slang) Money.
    • 1818, The Squib-Book, a collection of the addresses, songs, squibs, and other papers issued during the contested election at Liverpool, 1818, page 14:
      By Jove, says my Lord, all my money is flown, […] Pray say, have you got any kelter to spare?

References

  • John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Noun

kelter (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete, British dialectal) Rubbish; trifle; hodgepodge.

References

Swedish

Noun

kelter

  1. indefinite plural of kelt
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