telly

noun

tel·​ly ˈte-lē How to pronounce telly (audio)
variants or less commonly tele
plural tellies also teles
British, informal
: television
… I asked parents what they thought of children's telly.Vanessa Feltz
While you were doing your couch potato number in front of the telly last Sun., 67-yr-old Zadu Taft was swimming across the Golden Gate …Berb Caen
Is there any truth to the hundreds of pieces of advice we hear from aunt Jane, who 'saw it on the tele'?Patrick Holler

Examples of telly in a Sentence

Please turn off the telly. I just want to relax and watch the telly.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chase and Zoe arrive at the location provided by Nina’s phone: A woodsy cottage outside London that gives serious serial killer vibes, especially once Chase discovers an emaciated Nina lying helplessly in front of the telly. Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024 Grab a cup of tea and settle down for the finest telly Britain has to offer. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024 How can anyone who has ever seen Tamra on their telly not know the answer to that? Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 20 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, there’s a freshness in the air, a Meg Ryan movie on the telly, and sales of pumpkin spice lattes are about to spike. Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for telly 

Word History

Etymology

tel(evision) + -y; tele as if shortened from television

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of telly was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near telly

Cite this Entry

“Telly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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