filly
Americannoun
plural
fillies-
a young female horse.
-
Informal. a girl or young woman.
noun
-
a female horse or pony under the age of four
-
informal a spirited girl or young woman
Etymology
Origin of filly
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English fyly, from Old Norse fyla “female, foal”; see foal
Explanation
A filly is a young female horse. The male equivalent of a filly is a "colt." In most places, a filly is not yet four years old, although sometimes a female horse younger than five is considered a filly. Before she is a year old, a filly is also called a "foal," or a baby horse — and between the ages of one and two, she's also a "yearling." Around 1400, the word was spelled fyly, possibly from the Old Norse fylja, the feminine of foli, or "foal."
Vocabulary lists containing filly
Horsin' Around
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The Book of Unknown Americans
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Black Beauty
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There were three additional Breeders’ Cup races after the Classic, the turf Mile, Dirt Mile and Filly & Mare Turf.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025
Perth barrister Seamus Rafferty SC represented Yung Filly in Perth Magistrates Court and applied for bail on the rapper’s behalf, the BBC reported.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2024
The 25th Mobo Awards were held in London in 2022 and were hosted by YouTubers Chunkz and Yung Filly.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2024
Last year, the 25th Mobo Awards were held in London and hosted by YouTubers Chunkz and Yung Filly.
From BBC • Nov. 23, 2023
“Have you had any contact with Trey Filly or Bradley Mathers in the past two months?”
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
