noun

jelly

JEH-lee

noun

A soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert.

"She spread strawberry jelly on her toast."

"The kids wolfed down bowls of red jelly at the party."

verb

To set or thicken into a jelly-like consistency.

"Leave the sauce to cool and jelly in the fridge overnight."

How to Use Jelly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA wobbly, set food made from fruit or gelatin — in the UK it also means the wobbly dessert Americans call "Jell-O."

UK vs US

In British English, "jelly" is the wobbly dessert (US "Jell-O"), while what Americans call "jelly" (the fruit spread) is closer to what Brits call "jam," though there are subtle differences between jam and jelly even in the US.

Common pairings

strawberry jelly jelly and ice cream set into a jelly

Word Forms

more jelly comparative, jellied past tense, jellies singular, most jelly superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She spread strawberry _____ on her toast.

Etymology

From Old French gelee, "frost" or "something frozen/set," ultimately from Latin gelu, "frost" — the same root behind gelatin and gel.

Rhymes for jelly

belly nelly telly Kelly smelly Shelly cruelly Connelly Donnelly underbelly squirrelly

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