Jelly is a transparent, usually coloured food that is eaten as a dessert. It is made from gelatine, fruit juice, and sugar.
[British]
...a large bowl of jelly.
regional note: in AM, use Jell-O
A container of jelly can be referred to as a jelly.
Dip the base of the bowls in hot water for a few seconds to loosen the jellies.
2. variable noun
Jelly is a thick sweet food that is made by cooking fruit with a large amount of sugar, and that is usually spread on bread.
[US]
I had two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
regional note: in BRIT, use jam
3. mass noun
Jelly is a thin clear sweet food that is made by cooking fruit with a large amount of sugar.
...toast piled thick with butter and bramble jelly.
4. variable noun
A jelly is a transparent substance that is not completely solid.
...meat in jelly.
5. See also royal jelly
jelly in British English1
(ˈdʒɛlɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-lies
1.
a fruit-flavoured clear dessert set with gelatine
US and Canadian trademark: Jell-o
2.
a preserve made from the juice of fruit boiled with sugar and used as jam
3.
a savoury food preparation set with gelatine or with a strong gelatinous stock and having a soft elastic consistency
calf's-foot jelly
4.
anything having the consistency of jelly
5. informal
a coloured gelatine filter that can be fitted in front of a stage or studio light
verbWord forms: -lies, -lying or -lied
6.
to jellify
Derived forms
jelly-like (ˈjelly-ˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Old French gelee frost, jelly, from geler to set hard, from Latin gelāre, from gelu frost
jelly in British English2
(ˈdʒɛlɪ)
noun
British a slang name for gelignite
jelly in British English3
(ˈdʒɛlɪ)
adjective
US slang
jealous
jealous in British English3
(ˈdʒɛləs)
adjective
1.
suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival
a jealous lover
2. (oftenpostpositive and foll by of)
resentful (of) or vindictive (towards), esp through envy
a child jealous of his brother
3. (oftenpostpositive and foll by of)
possessive and watchful in the maintenance or protection (of)
jealous of one's reputation
4.
characterized by or resulting from jealousy
5. obsolete or biblical
demanding exclusive loyalty
a jealous God
6. an obsolete word for zealous
jelly in American English
(ˈdʒɛli)
nounWord forms: pluralˈjellies
1.
a soft, resilient, partially transparent, semisolid, gelatinous food resulting from the cooling of fruit juice boiled with sugar, or of meat juice cooked down
2.
any substance like this; gelatinous substance
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈjellied or ˈjellying
3.
to make into jelly
4.
to coat, fill, or serve with jelly
verb intransitive
5.
to become jelly
Derived forms
jellylike (ˈjellyˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
ME gely < OFr gelée, a frost, jelly < fem. pp. of geler < L gelare, to freeze: see gelatin
jelly in Hospitality
(dʒɛli) or jam
noun
(Hospitality (hotel): Food and drink, breakfast)
Jelly is a sweet food that is made by cooking fruit or fruit juice with a large amountof sugar until it is thickened. It is usually spread on bread.
He had two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
At breakfast time, you can have a fruit jelly for your toast or bagel.
Once the waffles are cooked, top them with marmalade or orange jelly.
Examples of 'jelly' in a sentence
jelly
Spoon the warm sauce around the jelly.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The jelly should quiver and the butter should be bright and smooth.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Use the jelly to fill each lemon shell right up to the top.
The Sun (2012)
The pudding of strawberry mousse with a champagne jelly gave a sweet burst of sugar and fruit.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The jelly ones make me want to cry with happiness.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Press the fruit jellies against the edge of the glass and spoon in the custard.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She promises it will help banish that dreaded jelly belly and help you tone up your tum.
The Sun (2012)
It is almost as thick as petroleum jelly but soaks into skin well.
The Sun (2013)
Scatter the berries around the jellies with the mint.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Sometimes you thought that your jelly shoes might melt.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Pour the custard over the trifle when jelly is set.
Turner, Roger Newman The Hayfever Handbook - a summer survival guide (1988)
He used to make maps from jelly.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Fresh fruit or natural fruit jelly or a tofu dessert to follow.
Turner, Roger Newman The Hayfever Handbook - a summer survival guide (1988)
They smell like butter and jelly.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
If you do not use the jelly then the pads may not make contact or may produce an area of skin irritation.
Lewith, George & Horn, Sandra Drug-Free Pain Relief (1987)
Q clear jelly in my new compost?
The Sun (2006)
Returning Crusaders are thought to have introduced jams and jellies to Europe.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
jelly
British English: jelly /ˈdʒɛlɪ/ NOUN
Jelly is a transparent food made from gelatine, fruit juice, and sugar, which is eaten as a dessert.
...strawberry jelly.
American English: Jell-O®
Arabic: جِيلِي
Brazilian Portuguese: gelatina
Chinese: 果子冻
Croatian: žele
Czech: želé
Danish: gelé
Dutch: gelei
European Spanish: gelatina
Finnish: hyytelö
French: gelée
German: Götterspeise
Greek: ζελέ
Italian: gelatina
Japanese: ゼリー
Korean: 젤리
Norwegian: gele
Polish: galareta
European Portuguese: gelatina
Romanian: jeleu
Russian: желе
Latin American Spanish: gelatina
Swedish: gelé
Thai: เยลลี่
Turkish: jöle tatlı
Ukrainian: желе
Vietnamese: thạch
All related terms of 'jelly'
jelly bag
a muslin bag used to strain off the juice from the fruit in making jelly (the preserve )
comb jelly
→ ctenophore
grape jelly
a preserve made from sugar and grapes
jelly baby
a small sweet made from a gelatinous substance formed to resemble a baby in shape
jelly bean
Jelly beans are small coloured sweets that are hard on the outside and soft inside .
jelly bear
a small sweet made from a gelatinous substance formed to resemble a bear in shape
jelly mould
a mould made of glass , copper , etc, used to make a jelly in a decorative shape
jelly roll
Jelly roll is a cylindrical cake made from a thin , flat cake which is covered with jam or cream on one side , then rolled up.
jelly shoes
gelatine capsules of temazepam , dissolved and injected as a recreational drug
mint jelly
a jelly (or sauce ) flavored with mint leaves, served esp. with lamb
royal jelly
Royal jelly is a substance that bees make in order to feed young bees and queen bees.
bramble jelly
a jam made from blackberries
jelly fungus
a member of any of three orders ( Auriculariales, Tremellales, and Dacrymycetales ) of basidiomycetous fungi that grow on trees and have a jelly-like consistency when wet . They include the conspicuous yellow brain fungus ( Tremella mesenterica ), the black witch's butter ( Exidia plana ), and the pinky-red jew's- ear ( Auricularia auricula-judae )
mineral jelly
→ petrolatum
petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly is a soft , clear substance obtained from oil or petroleum. It is put on the skin to protect or soften it, or put on surfaces to make them move against each other easily .
calf's-foot jelly
a jelly made from the stock of boiled calves ' feet and flavourings , formerly often served to invalids
moon jellyfish
a coelenterate , Aurelia aurita , inhabiting all seas, having a luminescent milky-pink or milky-orange, umbrellalike disk 3–9 in. (8–23 cm) in diameter
jellies
gelatine capsules of temazepam , dissolved and injected as a recreational drug
witches' butter
a member of any of three orders ( Auriculariales, Tremellales, and Dacrymycetales ) of basidiomycetous fungi that grow on trees and have a jelly-like consistency when wet . They include the conspicuous yellow brain fungus ( Tremella mesenterica ), the black witch's butter ( Exidia plana ), and the pinky-red jew's- ear ( Auricularia auricula-judae )
yellow brain fungus
a member of any of three orders ( Auriculariales, Tremellales, and Dacrymycetales ) of basidiomycetous fungi that grow on trees and have a jelly-like consistency when wet . They include the conspicuous yellow brain fungus ( Tremella mesenterica ), the black witch's butter ( Exidia plana ), and the pinky-red jew's- ear ( Auricularia auricula-judae )