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nelly. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
nelly, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
nelly in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
nelly you have here. The definition of the word
nelly will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
nelly, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Shortened from Nelly Duff, for puff, i.e. breath of life.
Noun
nelly (plural nellies)
- (Cockney rhyming slang) A person's life.
Usage notes
Etymology 2
From the woman's name Nelly.
Noun
nelly (plural nellies)
- (derogatory, slang) An effeminate homosexual man. [1]
- (British, slang) A silly person.
- A giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus and Macronectes halli.
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations
Adjective
nelly (comparative nellier, superlative nelliest)
- (slang) Unmanly; effeminate.
1979 April 21, Greg Jackson, “He Looks Like Tarzan But He Talks Like Jane”, in Gay Community News, page 17:From Christopher Street to Castro Street, these men are peddling the same message. I'm butch, a macho man. Well, it ain't necessarily so. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, the butcher the get-up, the nellier the wearer.
2012, Lee Lynch, The Raid:Some of the nelliest boys unable to get or keep a job, some of the toughest girls breaking their bodies trying to do men's work.
References
- ^ Reuben, David R. (1969) chapter 8, in Everything you always wanted to know about sex but were too afraid to ask, New York: David McKay Company, Inc., published 1970, →LCCN, Homosexuals have their own language?, page 146: “NELLY: effeminate homosexual”