# jelly

/ˈdʒɛɫi/ (US) · /dʒˈɛli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jelly
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. sweet dessert

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

a sweet, wobbly food made with fruit juice and gelatin that children often eat.

For teachers: a dessert made by boiling gelatin or a plant-based alternative with sugar and flavoring, then allowing it to set into a semi-solid state.

- The children had red jelly and ice cream at the birthday party.
- The chef prepared a sophisticated raspberry jelly, carefully balancing the sugar content to ensure the mold held its shape when plated.

### 2. fruit spread

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a smooth, clear jam made from fruit juice, often eaten on bread or toast.

For teachers: a clear or translucent fruit preserve made from juice and set with pectin, distinguished from jam by its lack of solid fruit pieces.

- He spread some grape jelly on his toast before leaving for work.
- In North America, a classic lunch often consists of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, typically using smooth grape or strawberry preserves.

### 3. jellyfish

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a simple way to say 'jellyfish'.

For teachers: a colloquial clipping for jellyfish, referring to the gelatinous marine zooplankton.

- Be careful while swimming; there are lots of jellies in the water today.
- Marine biologists observed a swarm of jellies drifting with the current, noting the translucent bells of the moon jellyfish species.

### 4. savory meat stock

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a cold, salty substance made from meat juices that has turned solid.

For teachers: a savory substance, often called aspic, derived from meat or fish stock that has set into a gelatinous texture.

- The cold pork pie was filled with a salty meat jelly.
- Traditional recipes for pork pies require a layer of savory jelly to be poured into the crust after baking to fill the air gaps.

### 5. to become firm

verb · CEFR B2

to turn into a soft, wobbly solid.

For teachers: to convert a liquid into a gelatinous state or to preserve food within such a substance.

- The sauce will jelly if you leave it in the fridge overnight.
- The mixture began to jelly as the temperature dropped, eventually reaching the perfect consistency for the fruit mold.

### 7. explosives

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Technical

a slang name for a type of powerful explosive.

For teachers: a colloquial clipping of gelignite, a powerful explosive used in mining and construction.

- The workers used jelly to clear the rocks for the new tunnel.
- The demolition crew handled the jelly with extreme caution, ensuring the charges were placed precisely to bring down the old bridge safely.

## Examples

- The children ate red jelly and ice cream at the party.
- She spread a thin layer of grape jelly on her toast before heading out to work.
- The chef demonstrated how to clarify the stock to create a savory jelly, which would eventually encase the terrine in a shimmering, translucent layer.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.