Nellie
Americannoun
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a female given name, form of Helen.
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(often lowercase)
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Offensive. a fussily effeminate male.
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Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay man.
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Etymology
Origin of Nellie
First recorded in 1930–35 Nellie for def. 2
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.
Barton let him in on a less popular trip that involved a great swimming hole, fish tacos at Whoa Nellie Deli, an adventure around Mono Lake and a drive through a stunning mountain pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Twelve-year-old Nellie had served the family enterprise as a volunteer printer’s devil; now she launched a weekly paper called the Penfield Extra, which soon earned widespread fame as Little Nellie’s Little Paper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
In 1993, Kelly joined the cast of EastEnders as Nellie Ellis - the sharp-tongued relative of Pauline Fowler.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
“And she loved to come out here and would stay just across the street at the Desert Inn, which was run by Nellie Coffman.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
He thought of Nellie as he walked, and of the little colt.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
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.
