jelly

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A soft, wobbly dessert made from fruit-flavored gelatine that is set in a mold.

   The children had jelly and ice cream at the party.

2. 2
   noun

   A clear, sweet fruit spread made from fruit juice.

   She put grape jelly on her sandwich.

3. 3
   noun

   Any substance that is soft and wobbly like the dessert.

   My legs turned to jelly when I saw the stage.

4. 4
   noun

   A jellyfish.

   A large jelly drifted past us in the warm water.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Jelly came into English in the late Middle Ages and ultimately derives from Latin gelare, “to freeze.” It first denoted a savoury preparation of meat or fish set in aspic; fruit-flavoured jelly is not recorded until the mid-18th century. Jell, gelatine, and gel belong to the same word family.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gel- Latin gelū Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin gelō ▲ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Latin -āta Early Medieval Latin gelāta Old French geleebor. Middle English gele English jelly Inherited from Middle English gele. Doublet of gelee.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary