Jelly Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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jelly

[ˈdʒɛli ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Noun}

sweet dessert

A sweet, soft, semisolid food substance, usually transparent or translucent, made by boiling sugar and fruit juice to a thick consistency.

Synonyms

conserve, jam, preserve.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
jelly	A clear, sweet spread made from fruit juice and sugar, usually without any fruit pieces. Often used on toast or in sandwiches. Commonly found in children’s meals. She spread some grape jelly on her peanut butter sandwich
jam	A thick, sweet spread made by crushing whole fruit, including its juice and flesh, mixed with sugar. It is commonly used on bread, in desserts, or as a filling. It has a more textured feel than jelly. Her homemade strawberry jam was a hit at the family picnic
preserve	A type of spread that contains large chunks of fruit or whole pieces of fruit, often combined with sugar and sometimes additional spices. It is similar to jam but with larger fruit pieces. Used for a more rustic or artisan touch in various foods. She gifted us a jar of peach preserves she made from her garden harvest
conserve	A type of fruit spread that includes whole fruit, sugar, and sometimes nuts or raisins. Conserves are chunkier than jam and are often used as a topping for baked goods or to accompany cheeses. The café served a delicious raspberry conserve with their scones

Examples of usage

Would you like some jelly on your toast?
She spread jelly on her pancakes.
The kids love to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

gelatinous substance

A substance having the consistency of jelly, especially a soft, semisolid gelatinous substance made by the partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from bones, connective tissues, etc.

Synonyms

gel, gelatin, gummy.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
jelly	This word is often used to refer to a sweet, fruit-flavored food that is spread on bread or toast, or desserts that set into a firm, wobbly state. Spread some jelly on your toast for breakfast. The kids loved the jelly dessert at the party.
gel	Commonly used to refer to a semi-solid substance, often used in cosmetic and medical products. It can also refer to a thick, slippery substance created by a chemical process. She used hair gel to keep her hairstyle in place. The doctor applied a cooling gel to the wound.
gelatin	This word typically refers to a tasteless, colorless food ingredient derived from collagen, used to create jellied foods and in pharmaceuticals. You'll need some gelatin to make this mousse dessert. Gelatin capsules are easy to swallow and dissolve quickly.
gummy	Often used to describe something that is chewy and slightly sticky, frequently referring to types of candy. The children were excited about the gummy bears in their treat bags. Gummy candies are my favorite movie snack.

Examples of usage

The jelly-like substance is used in some desserts.
She applied the cool jelly to the burn on her skin.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Origin of 'jelly'

The word 'jelly' originated from the Old French word 'gelée', meaning 'frost' or 'jelly'. It was first used in the 14th century to refer to a gelatinous substance. Over time, it evolved to also mean a sweet dessert made from fruit juice and sugar. The term 'jelly' has been widely used in English-speaking countries to refer to both gelatinous substances and sweet spreads.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,880, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.

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11877 premier
11878 subordination
11879 crawl
11880 jelly
11881 polyethylene
11882 purposely
11883 abusive
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