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.
the inhabitants of Wales and their descendants elsewhere.
Also called Kymric. Also called Cymric. 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.
a language of Wales, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family. Welsh shows considerable diversity between dialects
(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Wales collectively
to fail to pay a gambling debt
to fail to fulfil an obligation
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.
First recorded in 1855–60; perhaps special use 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”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Using registration data pulled from Seattle zip codes, the AKC found Labrador retrievers are Seattle’s second most-popular pup, followed by the French bulldog, Pembroke welsh corgi and havanese.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
He needs to fill posts made vacant by those who stood down ahead of the general election, including the culture and welsh secretary posts.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2019
Queso gradually migrated north to places where palates were used to creamy dishes like fondue and welsh rarebit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2016
Writing on Instagram, accompanied by a picture Speed during his playing days, he said: "This man would have been so proud tonight... Congratulations to Chris Colman all the players and everyone involved in welsh football..."
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2015
At supper Mitchell secured parking space for his companion at the Union Café, and there he learned how a welsh rabbit may be humiliated by a woman.
From Laughing Bill Hyde and Other Stories by Beach, Rex Ellingwood
A celebration of life service and procession has been announced in Swansea following the death of Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
He added the casting directors "worked tirelessly to bring an exciting ensemble together that was almost entirely Welsh".
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
More than £2bn of Welsh government money was spent on social housing in the last Senedd, with rising prices and higher building standards pushing up costs.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
That mainly comes down to its excellent setting - players take control of fictional Welsh pirate Edward Kenway in the Caribbean during the 1700s.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Peace is what we all hope for. But we find it seldom. For if ’tis not the Welsh ’tis the Scots.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
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.
