Kilroy

American  

[kil-roi] / ˈkɪl rɔɪ /

noun

1. a fictitious American male, created by American troops who left the inscription Kilroy was here on walls, property, etc., all over the world in the years during and after World War II.

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Kilroy

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

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

Charlotte Kilroy KC, representing Beth, told the court her client agreed with the BBC that the threshold for contempt of court proceedings had been met.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2025

Like Kilroy, like Zelig, the ubiquitous Barney Oldfield drove here, too.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022

That is Lord Fitzkillingham," he continued, "that tall man who has just come in—see, there!—shaking hands with Mrs. Kilroy.

From The Beth Book Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure, a Woman of Genius by Sarah Grand

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