jewellery
JOO-uhl-ree/ˈd͡ʒuː(ə)lɹi/USJOO-ul-ree/ˈd͡ʒʊ-/
US spellingjewelry
- 1Decorative items worn on the body, taken as a group, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches, traditionally made of precious metal and often set with gemstones.
Burglars broke in and took cash and jewellery worth thousands of pounds.
She wore no jewellery apart from her grandmother's wedding ring.
UsageOne ring or necklace is a piece of jewellery (not
incorrect: a jewellery); several are pieces of jewellery.Similarjewels
Note
American English spells it jewelry, with one l and no e after the l. Slang has its own names for it: Cockney speakers say tomfoolery or tom, and bling is the word for the showy kind.
Less common meaning
- 2In the oil industry, special tools and equipment fitted to a pipe string and lowered into a well, as distinct from the pipe itself.
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Origin
The word goes back to Middle English juelrye, which came from Old French juelerye. Its parts are jewel and the suffix -ery.