terry

[ ter-ee ]

/ ˈtɛr i /

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noun, plural ter·ries.

the loop formed by the pile of a fabric when left uncut.

Also called terry cloth . a pile fabric, usually of cotton, with loops on both sides, as in a Turkish towel.

adjective

made of such a fabric: a terry bathrobe.

having the pile loops uncut: terry velvet.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of terry

First recorded in 1775–85; perhaps variant of terret

Words nearby terry

terror, terrorism, terrorist, terrorize, terror-stricken, terry, Tersanctus, terse, tersely, tertial, tertian

Other definitions for terry (2 of 2)

Terry

[ ter-ee ]

/ ˈtɛr i /

noun

Clark, 1920–2015, U.S. jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player and singer.

Ellen (Alicia or Alice), 1848?–1928, English actress.

Megan Marguerite Duffy, born 1932, U.S. playwright and feminist.

William "Bill"; "Memphis Bill", 1898–1989, U.S. baseball player.

a male given name, form of Terrence or Theodore.

a female given name, form of Theresa.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use terry in a sentence

Taken together across the four episodes, the stories about and from Terry show a man who was desperate for an answer that’s impossible to find.
The Story Behind The Sons of Sam, Netflix's True Crime Docuseries About David Berkowitz|Mahita Gajanan|May 5, 2021|Time
“This circuit split is untenable,” Terry’s legal team argues in his petition, pointing out “geography alone now determines” whether “countless” people serving low-level crack cocaine convictions can apply for sentence reduction.
SCOTUS Hears Case That Could Impact Sentencing For Many ‘Low-Level’ Crack Cocaine Offenders|Madeleine Carlisle|May 3, 2021|Time
Terry will also address housing stability by leveraging federal housing dollars and working to establish safe and inclusive shelters.
Terry McAuliffe releases LGBTQ rights platform|Michael K. Lavers|April 28, 2021|Washington Blade
Terry, who did much of the mapping work at ATAC, had spent four years as a contractor with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency working on American drone strikes.
Inside the rise of police department real-time crime centers|Rowan Moore Gerety|April 19, 2021|MIT Technology Review

When the region was hit by a powerful windstorm last September, Terry flew a drone over massive piles of downed trees and brush collected by the city.
Inside the rise of police department real-time crime centers|Rowan Moore Gerety|April 19, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Terry Castle has this great book called The Professor, which came out after I was in grad school.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life|David Yaffe|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At its height in the 1920s, Terry noted, the Klan wielded real political influence, boasting a membership upwards of four million.
The Klan’s Call to Violence in Ferguson Blows the Lid Off Its Hypocritical Rebrand|Caitlin Dickson|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Don Terry, a senior writer at the Southern Poverty Law Center, doubts it.
The Klan’s Call to Violence in Ferguson Blows the Lid Off Its Hypocritical Rebrand|Caitlin Dickson|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The film holds a special resonance for Jones, since Terry also served as his mentor.
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago’s Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber|Marlow Stern|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Clark [Terry] always had the ability to put young kids on his shoulders.
Quincy Jones Talks Chicago’s Mean Streets, Why Kanye West Is No Michael Jackson, and Bieber|Marlow Stern|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the gang did deliberately combine to waylay and attack Lieutenant Overton and Terry?
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
Further, Lieutenants Overton and Terry were authorized to publish this letter in any way that they chose.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
"I hope we'll have as good luck with each step upward," beamed young Terry.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
"Mr. Johnson is first lieutenant of F company, your company, Mr. Terry," stated the major.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
"I don't suppose Terry or myself will have the luck to be picked for this sort of border patrol work, if it comes," suggested Hal.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock

British Dictionary definitions for terry (1 of 2)

terry

/ (ˈtɛrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

an uncut loop in the pile of towelling or a similar fabric

a fabric with such a pile on both sides
(as modifier)a terry towel

Word Origin for terry

C18: perhaps variant of terret

British Dictionary definitions for terry (2 of 2)

Terry

/ (ˈtɛrɪ) /

noun

Dame Ellen. 1847–1928, British actress, noted for her Shakespearean roles opposite Sir Henry Irving and for her correspondence with George Bernard Shaw

(John) Quinlan (ˈkwɪnlən). born 1937, British architect, noted for his works in neoclassical style, such as the Richmond riverside project (1984)

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