derry
noun
a meaningless refrain or chorus in old songs.
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derry
1 American
[der-ee]
/ ˈdɛr i /
noun
derries
plural
Derry
2
American
[der-ee]
/ ˈdɛr i /
Derry
1
British
/ ˈdɛrɪ /
noun
-
a district in NW Northern Ireland, in Co Londonderry. Pop: 106 456 (2003 est). Area: 387 sq km (149 sq miles)
-
another name for Londonderry
derry
2
British
/ ˈdɛrɪ /
noun
derry
3
British
/ ˈdɛrɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of derry
First recorded in 1545–55; of obscure origin
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.
A "derry" - slang for a derelict building - offered an option to young people seeking an alternative to the "taxpaying nine-to-five" lifestyle, says Prof Cohen.
From BBC • Oct. 4, 2019
When he heard them stir he clapped his hands, and cried: ‘Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! My hearties!’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Then let us be modestly merry, And rejoice with a derry down derry.
From The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan by Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), Sir
If that is so, Sing derry down derry!
From The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan by Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), Sir
This accounts for the original name, which Dugdale tells us was Derry-yate-end: derry, low; yate, gate; end, extremity of the parish; with which it perfectly agrees.
From An History of Birmingham (1783) by Hutton, William
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.
