welsh

[ welsh, welch ]

/ wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ /

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verb (used without object) Informal: Sometimes Offensive.

to cheat by failing to pay a gambling debt: You aren't going to welsh on me, are you?

to go back on one's word: He welshed on his promise to help in the campaign.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also welch .

Origin of welsh

First recorded in 1855–60; perhaps special use of Welsh

usage note for welsh

The verb welsh and the noun welsher are sometimes perceived as insulting to or by the Welsh, the people of Wales. While the actual origin of these words may have nothing to do with Wales or its people, it is better to avoid any expressions linked to a negative stereotype that may have historically disparaged an ethnic or national group.

OTHER WORDS FROM welsh

welsh·er, noun

Words nearby welsh

well-wrought, welly, welp, Wels, Welsbach burner, welsh, Welsh Black, Welsh corgi, Welsh dresser, Welsh harp, Welshman

Other definitions for welsh (2 of 2)

Welsh

[ welsh, welch ]

/ wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ /

adjective

of or relating to Wales, its people, or their language.

noun

the inhabitants of Wales and their descendants elsewhere.

Also called Cymric, Kym·ric

[kim-rik] /ˈkɪm rɪk/ . the Celtic language of Wales.

one of a white, lop-eared breed of swine of Welsh origin that produces a large amount of lean meat.

Also Welch

[welch, welsh] /wɛltʃ, wɛlʃ/ .

Origin of Welsh

Before 900; Middle English Welische, Old English Welisc, derivative of Walh “Briton, foreigner” (compare Latin Volcae a Gallic tribe); cognate with German welsch “foreign, Italian”

OTHER WORDS FROM Welsh

non-Welsh, adjective, noun

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

How to use welsh in a sentence

We were also connected to the Edwards family, descendants of a Welsh pirate and, arguably, the owners of a few dozen acres of land in lower Manhattan they would certainly never get back.
It's 2022 and People Are Still Confused That My Kids Have Their Mother's Last Name|Aubrey Hirsch|February 4, 2022|Time
Tishani Doshi is a Welsh-Gujarati poet, novelist, and dancer.
Five poems about the mind|Cynthia Miller, Paula Bohince, Anthony Anaxagorou, Tishani Doshi, Zeina Hashem Beck|August 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review
This farm, set in the majestic green Welsh hills, turned out to the inspiration they needed.
Chris Martin Reveals How Coldplay Made ‘Yellow’ on a Farm|Marlow Stern|May 14, 2021|The Daily Beast
Later, Welsh would help build Ruffle, a Flash emulator that can be downloaded as a desktop application or a browser extension.
Flash is dead. These games from the early 2000s hope to live on.|Elise Favis, Shannon Liao|April 8, 2021|Washington Post

As a study by the Welsh government points out, trading two weeks of viral increase for two weeks of viral “decay” could put the pandemic back by 28 days or more.
Can a 2-Week 'Circuit Breaker' Lockdown Curb COVID-19? The U.K. May Be About to Find Out|Jeffrey Kluger|October 19, 2020|Time
We have Matthew Rhys from The Americans as a Welsh separatist.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The royal couple then traveled on to the Welsh capital of Cardiff to watch a rugby match between Wales and Australia.
Kate Middleton, the Preggers Fashion Princess|Tom Sykes|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1984, a group of lesbian and gay activists joined forces with striking UK miners to help local Welsh communities.
‘Pride’: The Feel-Good Movie of the Year, and the Film Rupert Murdoch Doesn’t Want You to See|Marlow Stern|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Ab Welsh, who was a forward with the Saskatoon Quakers was the first one,” Howe said.
Gordie Howe Hockey’s Greatest War Horse|W.C. Heinz|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He'll be played by Grahame Fox, a journeyman Welsh actor who's appeared on the U.K. soap EastEnders and the TV series Casualty.
Meet Game of Thrones’ Sexy New Season 4 Cast: The Red Viper, Porn Stars, and More|Marlow Stern|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The cross-head, side rods, and boiler were very similar to the Welsh stationary engines of that date.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
He perceived that they had lived long enough in retirement in the little Welsh village to have acquired a pride in its legend.
Uncanny Tales|Various
He pointed out however that the average height of the Yugo-Slavs exceeded that of the Welsh.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
There is every indication that the city was burned and plundered by the wild Welsh tribes sixteen hundred or more years ago.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
The weather was glorious and no section of Britain surpassed the Welsh landscapes in beauty.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for welsh (1 of 3)

welsh

welch

/ (wɛlʃ) /

verb (intr often foll by on) slang

to fail to pay a gambling debt

to fail to fulfil an obligation

Derived forms of welsh

welsher or welcher, noun

Word Origin for welsh

C19: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for welsh (2 of 3)

Welsh¹

/ (wɛlʃ) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Wales, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English

noun

a language of Wales, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family. Welsh shows considerable diversity between dialects

the Welsh (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Wales collectively

Also (rare): Welch

Word Origin for Welsh

Old English Wēlisc, Wǣlisc; related to wealh foreigner, Old High German walahisc (German welsch), Old Norse valskr, Latin Volcae

British Dictionary definitions for welsh (3 of 3)

Welsh²

/ (wɛlʃ) /

noun

a white long-bodied lop-eared breed of pig, kept chiefly for bacon

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