Nelly

//ˈnɛli// adj, name, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 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. 1
    Alternative spelling of Nellie. alt-of, alternative
  2. 2
    One of the Frazier Islands where nellies breed.
  3. 3
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A person's life. Cockney, slang
  2. 2
    An effeminate homosexual man. derogatory, slang
  3. 3
    A silly person. British, slang
  4. 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.

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