kelly

¹ American  

[kel-ee] / ˈkɛl i /

noun

Slang.

plural

kellies, kellys

1. a man's stiff hat, as a derby or straw skimmer.

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Kelly ² American  

[kel-ee] / ˈkɛl i /

noun

1. Ellsworth, 1923–2015, U.S. painter and sculptor.

2. Emmett (Leo), 1898–1979, U.S. circus clown and pantomimist.

3. Eugene Curran Gene, 1912–96, U.S. dancer, choreographer, actor, and director.

4. George (Edward), 1887–1974, U.S. playwright and actor.

5. Grace Patricia Princess Grace of Monaco, 1929–82, U.S. actress: married Prince Rainier III of Monaco 1956.

6. Walt, 1913–73, U.S. cartoonist.

7. Also Kellie. a male or female given name.

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Kelly British  

/ ˈkɛlɪ /

noun

1. 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)

2. 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

3. Ned. 1855–80, Australian horse and cattle thief and bushranger, active in Victoria: captured by the police and hanged

4. See game 1

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Etymology

Origin of kelly

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

Example Sentences

The alpine country Freeman disappeared into is the same one that harboured Ned Kelly and his infamous gang of bushrangers in the 1870s.

From BBC

Buffalo, N.Y., native Kelly McCoy had been struggling to make ends meet on her $80,000 salary as an insurance analyst until she moved to Albania in the summer of 2024 to take advantage of its American visa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Al Root recommended the shares last October, citing CEO Kelly Ortberg’s turnaround efforts.

From Barron's

Former full-back Stephen Kelly believes the "only reason" Tottenham may stay up is that other teams are even worse.

From BBC

Off campus, Kelly Wall extends the program to a former Westwood Village newsstand, where glass “magazines” will be displayed — 136 in all, priced at $300, with 15 given away.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blue-green
• olive