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kelly

[ kel-ee ]
/ ˈkɛl i /
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noun, plural kel·lies, kel·lys.Slang.
a man's stiff hat, as a derby or straw skimmer.
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Origin of kelly

First recorded in 1910–15; generic use of surname Kelly, taken as representative of a stage Irishman wearing such a derby

Other definitions for kelly (2 of 2)

Kelly
[ kel-ee ]
/ ˈkɛl i /

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

How to use kelly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kelly

Kelly
/ (ˈkɛlɪ) /

noun
Gene, full name Eugene Curran Kelly. 1912–96, US dancer, choreographer, film actor, and director. His many films include An American in Paris (1951) and Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Grace. 1929–82, US film actress. Her films included High Noon (1952) and High Society (1956). She married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956 and died following a car crash
Ned. 1855–80, Australian horse and cattle thief and bushranger, active in Victoria: captured by the police and hanged
game as Ned Kelly or as game as Ned Kelly See game 1 (def. 25)
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
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