(obsolete) kelly; kelly joint. grind out to test for the presence of water in oil by use of a centrifuge.Kelly joint; the top joint of the rotary drill string that works through the square hole in the rotary table. As the rotary table is turned by the drilling engines, the grief stem and the drillpipe are rotated. Grief stems are heavy, thick-walled tubular pieces with squared shoulders that are made to fit into the hole in the rotary table.
