Kilroy
Americannoun
Usage
What does Kilroy was here mean? Kilroy was here, or Kilroy for short, is a popular military graffito depicting a man with a long nose peeking over the top of a wall.
Etymology
Origin of Kilroy
First recorded in 1940–45; from the Irish surname Kilroy; several people have been suggested as the eponym
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.
Kilroy can instantly swap finishes and toggle between rug patterns, eliminating the hours once required for manual mock-ups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Ethan Allen designer Ellen Kilroy still visits homes to snap photos and take measurements, but she has traded her board of furniture-shaped magnets for three-dimensional renderings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
During the hearing, Charlotte Kilroy KC, for the charity, repeatedly clashed with Lord Justice Lewis, one of the two judges hearing the case.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2022
As the sailors returned to the water Saturday, Kilroy, a leader in sustainable real estate development and a sponsor of U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2022
When she entered, Mrs. Kilroy had half risen from her seat, and endeavoured to attract her attention; but Beth passed her by, deliberately chose a seat, and sat down.
From The Beth Book Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure, a Woman of Genius by Grand, Sarah
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.
