jelly
jelly Lexical Profile
jelly Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A sweet, clear, semisolid spread or preserve made from fruit juice and sugar boiled to a thick consistency.
"She spread a generous layer of grape jelly on her toast for breakfast."
British A sweet, fruit-flavored dessert made of a liquid set with gelatin.
"The children enjoyed bowls of vanilla ice cream and strawberry jelly at the birthday party."
A substance having a soft, semisolid, or gelatinous consistency.
"The mechanic applied a thick layer of petroleum jelly to the engine components."
• verb
To set or cause to set into a soft, semisolid mass.
"The fruit mixture will jelly as it cools in the refrigerator overnight."
To prepare and preserve food in the form of a gelatinous substance.
"The chef decided to jelly the beef stock to create a traditional cold consommé."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'jelly' refers strictly to a clear fruit spread made from juice, whereas in British English, 'jelly' typically refers to a gelatin dessert (known as 'Jell-O' in the US).
• Rhymes for jelly
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'gely', from Old French 'gelee' (frost, jelly), which is the feminine past participle of 'geler' (to freeze or congeal), derived from Latin 'gelare'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.