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Nelly
//ˈnɛli// adj, name, noun, slang
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Unmanly; effeminate. slang
"From Christopher Street to Castro Street, these men are peddling the same message. I'm butch, a macho man. Well, it ain't necessarily so. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, the butcher the get-up, the nellier the wearer."
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative spelling of Nellie. alt-of, alternative
- 2 One of the Frazier Islands where nellies breed.
- 3 A surname.
Noun
- 1 A person's life. Cockney, slang
- 2 An effeminate homosexual man. derogatory, slang
- 3 A silly person. British, slang
- 4 A giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus and Macronectes halli.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Shortened from Nelly Duff, for puff, i.e. breath of life.
Etymology 2
From the woman's name Nelly.
Etymology 3
From the woman's name Nelly.
See also for "nelly"
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