dilly
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dilly
An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; it was at first an adjective: “wonderful,” apparently a shortening of delicious, with -y 1 (now taken as -y 2 )
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.
Or with a dilly dipping sauce if you're fancy!
From Salon • Jul. 18, 2023
We are saying to the Irish government to stop dilly dallying and make a move so that we can get that medicine to the children as early as possible.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2022
They will be delivered in midnight green trucks that also have the Philly Special play plastered all over them because Anheuser-Busch has literally unlimited marketing funds dilly dilly:
From Golf Digest • Aug. 2, 2018
Canned fruits, dilly beans, baskets of parsnips, brussels sprouts and russet potatoes were among the fare in a fully stocked pantry.
From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2017
“It’s free. We just have to dig it out of the dilly trees,” Kermit said.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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.
