What does "kelly" mean?
Kelly green.
Kelly
/ˈkɛli/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Kelly green.
- Grammar: kelly is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cap, drill rod, drill shaft, family name.
- Usage evidence: Had I arrived earlier, I could have seen Kelly.
How to use "kelly"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "kelly" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "kelly" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "kelly" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "kelly" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "kelly" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cap" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "kelly", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Kelly green.
"([…] something special in Kelly or red), whose narrow shawl collar has a slight V in back and knots at the throat in front."
- 2 A square or hexagonal pipe that is turned in order to rotate the rotary table of a drilling rig.
- 3 Kelly green.
"Today there is no color or fabric that is out for girl or teen chubbies. Plaids, big, bold block designs, dark or light grounds, heavy textured wools, fleeces and brilliant colors of red, kelly or green, odd or off shades of rust, lavender, and other colors in the fashion cycle are now adapted in designing. Designers themselves have learned that the chubby is more truly eager for a fashionable dress[…]"
- 4 A roly-poly (toy).
"Tumblers, tilters and kellys are those toys which have a circular base with a weighted end. They sway to and fro and are not knocked completely over. They derive from the East and have various names, but most represent stability in some form or another."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Irish, Anglicised from the Irish Ó Ceallaigh. countable, uncountable
"A better and more straightforward appeal, though less cool, was made to him by Hugh Kelly, - - - The play was so successful, and Garrick said so much of it that Lord Pembroke was eager to be back from Paris to see it, though he said, with true aristocratic pride, that he could expect very little from such a name as "Kelly", especially if there be an "O'" before it."
- 2 A unisex given name transferred from the surname.; A male given name transferred from the surname. countable, uncountable
- 3 A unisex given name transferred from the surname.; A female given name transferred from the surname, popular from the 1960s to the 1990s. countable, uncountable
"On the walls of the salon are blown-up photos of models with dazzling teeth and ingeniously tousled hair - women with names like Kelly and Dawn, who come from tiny towns in Texas and Washington, who are tall and thin, and who don't appear to be burdened by any pasts to speak of."
- 4 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Nemaha County, Kansas. countable, uncountable
- 5 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Christian County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Bladen County, North Carolina. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A township in Union County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
- 9 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Collin County, Texas. countable, uncountable
- 10 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 11 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
- 12 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Clearfield, Juneau County, Wisconsin. countable, uncountable
- 13 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Teton County, Wyoming. countable, uncountable
- 14 A placename; A small village and civil parish (without a council) in West Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SX3981). countable, uncountable
- 15 A placename; A locality on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Australia. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Had I arrived earlier, I could have seen Kelly."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "kelly"?
Common synonyms include: cap, drill rod, drill shaft, family name, forename, given name.
How do you use "kelly" in a sentence?
Had I arrived earlier, I could have seen Kelly.
How do you pronounce "kelly"?
Pronounced /ˈkɛli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Irish Ó Ceallaigh. Doublet of Kellogg and Callahan.
Etymology 2
See kelly green.