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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.

"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 • Jan. 24, 2026

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 • Nov. 11, 2025

“It’s crazy going to the Grammys and looking at all the famous people off the telly and just feeling very odd.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025

"That was my first memory of a big sporting event and I've always loved cycling and the Olympics since. I was watching it on telly on holiday."

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2025

"We never are. We're always eating off our knees and watching the telly."

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

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.