ceilidh

[ key-lee ]

nounIrish, Scot., and Canadian (chiefly Prince Edward Island).

a party, gathering, or the like, at which dancing, singing, and storytelling are the usual forms of entertainment.

Origin of ceilidh

From Irish céilidhe, Scots Gaelic cèilidh, Middle Irish célide, derivative of Old Irish céile “companion”

Words Nearby ceilidh

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ceilidh in a sentence

The Highland ceilidh will be commenced in the next number, and continued from month to month.
The Celtic Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1875 | Various
The fire in the centre of the room was almost a necessity of the good old ceilidh days.
The Celtic Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2, December 1875 | Various
At the evening ceilidh a competent reader of Gaelic can usually be found.
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland | Daniel Turner Holmes
They say these "ceilidh" are not yet altogether given up in Gairloch parish.
Gairloch In North-West Ross-Shire | John H. Dixon, F.S.A. Scot
As for the superstition of the tales of ceilidh and buaile-mhart I have little to say.
John Splendid | Neil Munro

British Dictionary definitions for ceilidh

ceilidh

/ (ˈkeɪlɪ) /

noun

(esp in Scotland and Ireland) an informal social gathering with folk music, singing, dancing, and storytelling

Origin of ceilidh

C19: from Gaelic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse