telly
noun
tel·ly ˈte-lē 
variants or less commonly tele
plural tellies also teles
British, informal
: television
… I asked parents what they thought of children's telly.
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa FeltzWhile 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
Berb CaenIs there any truth to the hundreds of pieces of advice we hear from aunt Jane, who 'saw it on the tele'? Patrick Holler
Patrick Holler
Synonyms
- boob tube
- box
- idiot box
- television
- tube
- TV
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Please turn off the telly. I just want to relax and watch the telly.
Recent Examples on the Web Friends will send me music a lot, and just hearing it online, on telly. New York Times, 19 Apr. 2022 With that in mind, this may be an opportunity to enjoy a flick or two on the telly, meet a fun friend at a whiskey bar, or simply take a few naps. Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 July 2022 But part of me will always half stifle a laugh when a man is naked on the telly. Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 Getting plunked in front of the telly rather than taken to the funeral was formative. New York Times, 21 Jan. 2022 This is a fine time to cozy up with a good book or in front of the telly. Ed Silverman, STAT, 19 Jan. 2022 As a Chinese woman growing up in Australia, role models who looked like me on the telly and on the big screen were hard to come by. Maggie Zhou, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2021 This was an attempt by the BBC to educate Britons about just what the hell all these new fancy machines that looked like crappy typewriters connected to your telly were all about. Jason Torchinsky, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2020 Tonight: Nothing but blitz out in front of the telly. BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2020 See More
New York Times, 19 Apr. 2022 With that in mind, this may be an opportunity to enjoy a flick or two on the telly, meet a fun friend at a whiskey bar, or simply take a few naps. Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 July 2022 But part of me will always half stifle a laugh when a man is naked on the telly. Raven Smith, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2022 Getting plunked in front of the telly rather than taken to the funeral was formative. New York Times, 21 Jan. 2022 This is a fine time to cozy up with a good book or in front of the telly. Ed Silverman, STAT, 19 Jan. 2022 As a Chinese woman growing up in Australia, role models who looked like me on the telly and on the big screen were hard to come by. Maggie Zhou, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2021 This was an attempt by the BBC to educate Britons about just what the hell all these new fancy machines that looked like crappy typewriters connected to your telly were all about. Jason Torchinsky, Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2020 Tonight: Nothing but blitz out in front of the telly. BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
tel(evision) + -y; tele as if shortened from television
First Known Use
1930, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing telly
tellies
noun
variants also teles
as in tubes
an electronic device with a screen and speakers that reproduces images and sound my mum has had the same telly since I was but a lad Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- tubes
- televisions
- TVs
- boxes
- plasmas
- idiot boxes
- boob tubes
- LCDs
- home videos
- home theaters