derry

D2E1R1R1Y4
/ˈdɛɹi/

interjection

A meaningless refrain or chorus.

OriginIrish Doire ← Old Irish daire ← Proto-Celtic *daru →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

derry1

interjection
  1. archaicentertainmentA meaningless refrain or chorus.

    If that is so, Sing derry down derry! It's evident, very, Our tastes are one.

    1885, Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado

derry2

nounderry (uncountable)
  1. AustraliaNew ZealanduncountableDislike.

Derry3

proper nounDerry (countable and uncountable, plural Derrys)

plural Derrys

  1. countableuncountableA city in northwestern Northern Ireland; also known as Londonderry.

    There was music there in the Derry air / Like a language that we could all understand

    1973, Phil Coulter, “The Town I Loved So Well”
  2. countableuncountableOne of the traditional counties in northwestern Northern Ireland; known as County Derry, or officially as County Londonderry.
  3. countableuncountableA town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States.
  4. countableuncountableA borough and township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States.
  5. countableuncountableA number of townships in Illinois (1) and Pennsylvania (4), United States, listed under Derry Township.
  6. countableuncountableA surname.
  7. countableuncountableA male given name.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
foyleside

Origin

derry · interjection

Uncertain. First attested in c. 1545–1555.

Full word history & related roots →

Derry · proper noun

  1. Proto-Celtic*daru
  2. Old Irishdaire“oak forest”
  3. IrishDoire
  4. EnglishDerry

From Irish Doire, from doire (“oak grove”), from Old Irish daire (“oak forest”), from Proto-Celtic *daru.

More words from Irish, Old Irish, Proto-Celtic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali ডেরি
  • ডেরি (ḍeri)city in Northern Ireland
Chinese Mandarin 德里
  • 德里 (Délǐ)city in Northern Ireland
Hindi डेरी
  • डेरी (ḍerī)city in Northern Ireland
Irish Doire, Doire
  • Doirecity in Northern Ireland
  • Doirecounty in Northern Ireland
  • Contae Dhoirecounty in Northern Ireland
Japanese デリー
  • デリーcity in Northern Ireland
Korean 데리
  • 데리 (deri)city in Northern Ireland
Punjabi ਡੇਰੀ
  • ਡੇਰੀ (ḍerī)city in Northern Ireland
Tamil டெர்ரி
  • டெர்ரி (ṭerri)city in Northern Ireland
Urdu ڈیری
  • ڈیری (ḍerī)city in Northern Ireland

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with derry

veryqueryGaryKerryterrycherryperryferryberrymeremerryburyGerrysherryPerriGehryskerrywherryJerriePterryTom and Jerryvicenary
All rhymes →

Anagrams

dryerryderredry
Cite this entry
APA

derry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derry

MLA

“derry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derry. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “derry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derry.

Source: derry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.