jelly

American  

[jel-ee] / ˈdʒɛl i /

noun

plural

jellies

1. a food preparation of a soft, elastic consistency due to the presence of gelatin, pectin, etc., especially fruit juice boiled down with sugar and used as a sweet spread for bread and toast, as a filling for cakes or doughnuts, etc.

2. any substance having the consistency of jelly.

3. Chiefly British. a fruit-flavored gelatin dessert.

4. a plastic sandal or shoe.

---

verb (used with or without object)

jellied, jellying

1. to bring or come to the consistency of jelly.

adjective

1. containing or made, spread, or topped with jelly or syrup; jellied.

   jelly apples.

jelly ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒɛlɪ /

noun

1. US and Canadian trademark: Jell-o.  a fruit-flavoured clear dessert set with gelatine

2. a preserve made from the juice of fruit boiled with sugar and used as jam

3. a savoury food preparation set with gelatine or with a strong gelatinous stock and having a soft elastic consistency

   calf's-foot jelly

4. anything having the consistency of jelly

5. informal a coloured gelatine filter that can be fitted in front of a stage or studio light

---

verb

1. to jellify

jelly ² British  

/ ˈdʒɛlɪ /

noun

1. a slang name for gelignite

---

Other Word Forms

• jelly-like adjective
• jellylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of jelly

1350–1400; Middle English gely < Old French gelee frozen jelly < Medieval Latin gelāta frozen, equivalent to Latin gel- freeze + -āta -ate ¹; gel, cold

Example Sentences

The post added that the family on the other boat - which on dramatic video footage was captured tipping into the hole - managed to get on to the towpath where the ground "felt like jelly".

From BBC

First, the brain sample is set in jelly.

From BBC

Fancy cocktail napkins are a big seller, as are specialty jellies in flavors like hot pepper and cinnamon pear.

From The Wall Street Journal

The red color can camouflage this deep-water jelly, but only in its specific environment and range.

From The Wall Street Journal

Inside the college’s Basic Needs Resource Center on Wednesday afternoon, Crawford filled a black basket with peanut butter, jelly, oatmeal, a can of pozole and hygiene products.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gelatin