nel·ly
| \ ˈnelē \
plural -es
Definition of nelly
(Entry 1 of 2)
not on your nelly
sometimes capitalized second N,
[perhaps from the phrase not on your Nelly Duff, rhyming slang for British slang puff breath, life]
British slang
: certainly not
nelly
adjective
variants:
or nellie \
"
\
Definition of nelly (Entry 2 of 2)
slang, disparaging
: conspicuously effeminate
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About nelly
Statistics for nelly
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Nelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nelly. Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Difficult Spelling Words Quiz
-
- Which is the correct spelling?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share nelly
Time Traveler for nelly
The first known use of nelly was in 1823
See more words from the same year