- to fail to pay a gambling debt
- to fail to fulfil an obligation
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
welsh /wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ/USA pronunciation also welch,
v.
Welsh /wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ/USA pronunciation adj.of or relating to the language spoken by many of the people in Wales.
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [~ + on + ] obj][Often Offensive.]
- Informal Termsto fail to pay what is owed:He welshed on his debts.
- Informal Termsto go back on one's word.
Welsh /wɛlʃ, wɛltʃ/USA pronunciation adj.
- of or relating to Wales.
n.
- [plural;
the + ~;
used with a plural verb] the people born or living in Wales. - [uncountable] the language spoken by many of the people in Wales.
welsh
(welsh, welch),USA pronunciation v.i. [Informal]([sometimes offensive]).
welsh′er, n.
Welsh (welsh, welch),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
- Informal Termsto cheat by failing to pay a gambling debt:You aren't going to welsh on me, are you?
- Informal Termsto go back on one's word:He welshed on his promise to help in the campaign.
- perh. special use of Welsh 1855–60
Welsh (welsh, welch),USA pronunciation adj.
- Language Varietiesof or pertaining to Wales, its people, or their language.
n.
- Language Varietiesthe inhabitants of Wales and their descendants elsewhere.
- Language VarietiesAlso called Cymric, Kymric. the Celtic language of Wales.
- Animal Husbandryone of a white, lop-eared breed of swine of Welsh origin that produces a large amount of lean meat.
- bef. 900; Middle English Welische, Old English Welisc, derivative of Walh Briton, foreigner (compare Latin Volcae a Gallic tribe); cognate with German welsch foreign, Italian
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
welsh, welch /wɛlʃ/ vb (intransitive) often followed by on: slang
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Welsh /wɛlʃ/ adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of Wales, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
- a language of Wales, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family. Welsh shows considerable diversity between dialects
- the Welsh ⇒ (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Wales collectively
'welsh' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Anglesey
- ap
- Avalon
- bard
- Bennett
- bijou
- bile
- bogle
- boyo
- brill
- brock
- Brythonic
- Burton
- butcher
- Calzaghe
- Cambrian
- Cardiff
- Celtic
- cist
- coomb
- coracle
- corgi
- crag
- cromlech
- CSE
- Cymric
- Cymru
- Cymry
- Dafydd ap Gruffudd
- Dafydd ap Gwilym
- darn
- David
- Davies
- Edwards
- eisteddfod
- Evans
- First Minister
- flannel
- flummery
- frown
- Gael
- GCE
- Geoffrey of Monmouth
- Giraldus Cambrensis
- Goidelic
- Grey-Thompson
- gull
- Hopkins
- hwyl
- Hywel Dda