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Synonyms

telly

American  
[tel-ee] / ˈtɛl i /

noun

British Informal.

plural

tellies

  1. television.

  2. a television receiving set.

telly British  
/ ˈtɛlɪ /

noun

  1. informal short for television

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of telly

First recorded in 1935–40; tel(evision) + -y 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.

"The existence of Small Prophets proves the point: that British telly can still create impossible marvels like this is a reason to keep believing in magic."

From BBC

"Everything on telly was BBC," she said, adding that she grew up watching the sitcom Some Mothers Do Ave Em and Doctor Who, which ignited a love of science fiction.

From BBC

"I've been on telly for 25 years, I must have been awful!"

From BBC

And the “Antiques Roadshow” version of the lottery—the old picture over the family telly that might be worth $200 million.

From The Wall Street Journal

Visually, it's lots of fun, with new camera angles which better reflect how football plays out on the telly.

From BBC

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.