English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

JA

adv

Yes (used in imitation of German or Scandinavian speech, or as a dialect word in some English varieties).

jab

noun

A quick, sharp poke or short straight punch.

Jabbar

name

A surname of Arabic origin, meaning "mighty" or "powerful."

jabbee

noun

(informal) Someone getting an injection, especially a COVID-19 vaccine.

jabber

verb

To talk quickly and unclearly, often about nothing important.

jabbering

noun

Fast, unclear talk; the act of chattering nonsensically.

Jabberwocky

name

The title of a famous nonsense poem in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass", built almost entirely from invented words.

jabbing

noun

A quick poking or punching motion; the act of jabbing.

Jabez

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, mentioned briefly in the Bible.

Jabs

name

A German surname.

Jace

name

A male given name, a modern diminutive of Jason.

Jacinta

name

A female given name of Spanish origin, a variant of Jacinda.

jacinth

noun

A see-through, reddish stone, a form of zircon, used in jewellery.

jack

noun

A mechanical device used to lift something heavy off the ground, especially to raise a car to change a tyre.

jackal

noun

A wild, dog-like animal related to wolves, native to Africa and parts of Asia, typically smaller than a wolf.

jackanapes

noun

A name once used for an ape or monkey, particularly a tame animal kept to amuse people or as a pet.

jackaninny

noun

A silly or useless person.

jackass

noun

A male donkey.

jackboot

noun

A shiny leather military boot reaching the calf, linked to German soldiers of the Second World War.

jackdaw

noun

A bird of the genus Coloeus that looks like a crow and belongs to the same family.

jacked

adjective

Slang: high on drugs, alcohol, or stimulants.

jacket

noun

A garment for the upper body, worn over a shirt, usually reaching the waist or thigh.

jackfish

noun

Any of several fish known by the name jack.

jackfruit

noun

A tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus, of the Moraceae family, which produces edible fruit.

jackhammer

noun

A heavy power tool that pounds a chisel-like bit to break up rock, concrete, or asphalt.

Jackie

noun

A familiar nickname for someone named Jack, Jacques, or John, or (for women) for Jacqueline.

jacking

noun

Slang for a robbery carried out in the street, especially by force or threat.

jacklight

noun

A bright lamp fixed to a vehicle, boat or pole to help spot animals while hunting.

jackman

noun

A member of a motor racing pit crew whose job is to lift the car with a jack during a pit stop.

Jacko

noun

A casual nickname for someone named Jack or Jackson.

jackoff

noun

(informal, vulgar) An unpleasant or obnoxious person.

jackpot

noun

A large cash prize, especially in gambling, that grows until someone wins it.

jackrabbit

noun

Any of several large, long-eared North American hares known for their speed.

jacks

noun

A children's game played by tossing and catching small metal or plastic pieces along with a ball.

Jackson

noun

Informal American slang for a twenty-dollar bill, from the portrait of President Andrew Jackson on it.

Jacksonville

name

The largest city in Florida, United States, seat of Duval County; also the name of many other towns across the US.

jacktar

noun

(informal) A sailor, especially one serving in Britain's navy.

Jacky

noun

An informal nickname for Jack, Jacques, or John.

Jaco

name

A surname of Portuguese, Italian, or Czech origin.

Jacob

noun

A male given name of Hebrew origin, historically the name of the biblical patriarch and father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jacobi

name

A German surname derived from the given name Jacob.

jacobin

noun

A member of the Dominican religious order, especially its branch in France.

jacobinic

adj

Relating to, or in the style of, the Jacobins of France.

jacobinical

adj

Typical of, or connected with, the Jacobins of France.

Jacobite

noun

A supporter of the exiled Stuart royal family's claim to the English and Scottish thrones in the late 1600s and 1700s.

jacobitism

noun

The political movement that aimed to restore Stuart kings to the throne, ruling over England, Scotland, and eventually the united Kingdom of Great Britain together with the Kingdom of Ireland.

Jacobs

noun

British slang for testicles.

Jacobsen

name

A surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Jacob."

Jacobson

noun

An English surname meaning "son of Jacob."

jacobus

noun

An old English gold coin dating from the Jacobite era.

Jacoby

name

A surname and male given name derived from Jacob.

Jacqueline

name

A female given name of French origin, the feminine form of Jacques (equivalent to James).

Jacques

name

A male given name and surname of French origin, equivalent to English James or Jacob.

Jacqui

name

A diminutive of the female given name Jacqueline.

Jacquie

name

A diminutive of the female given name Jacqueline.

jactitate

verb

To toss and turn, unable to keep still.

jactitation

noun

Boastful talk, especially lies told to damage someone else.

jacuzzi

noun

A hot tub fitted with underwater jets that massage the body with bubbling water.

Jada

name

A female given name, a variant of Jade popularized in the 2000s.

jade

noun

A hard, typically green semiprecious stone often carved into jewelry and figurines.

jaded

adjective

Tired of or unenthusiastic about something because of too much exposure to it.

jadeite

noun

A pyroxene mineral, a sodium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Na(Al,Fe³⁺)Si₂O₆, found in metamorphic rocks.

Jaden

noun

A modern unisex given name, a variant spelling of Jayden.

jaeger

noun

Any of several predatory seabirds known for chasing other birds to steal their food.

jael

name

A female first name of Hebrew origin.

Jafar

name

A male given name of Arabic and Persian origin.

Jaffa

noun

A type of sweet, typically seedless orange named after the port city of Jaffa.

Jaffe

name

A Jewish surname of Hebrew origin, meaning "beautiful."

jag

verb

To cut or tear something unevenly, leaving a rough, sharp edge.

jagannath

name

One of the names used for Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu.

jagged

adjective

Having a rough, sharply uneven edge or surface.

jagger

noun

A wheeled tool with a serrated edge used for crimping or cutting decorative patterns in pastry.

jaggery

noun

An unrefined, dark brown sugar made by boiling down palm or sugarcane sap, common in South and Southeast Asian cooking.

Jaggi

name

A surname of either Swiss German or Punjabi origin.

jaggy

adj

Having a rough, uneven edge with sharp points.

Jago

name

A Cornish surname and given name, a variant of James derived ultimately from Jacob.

jagoff

noun

(informal) An annoying, useless or unpleasant person.

jagua

noun

A tropical tree, also called genipap, that grows naturally in the Americas and the Caribbean.

jaguar

noun

A large spotted wild cat native to Central and South America, the biggest cat species in the Americas.

jagweed

noun

(informal) A rude, unpleasant person.

Jah

name

A name for God, especially as used in Rastafarian belief, shortened from the Hebrew name of God.

Jahan

name

A unisex given name of Persian origin, meaning "world."

Jai

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "victory," used mainly in India.

jaiden

name

A unisex forename that began as an invented form, a variant of Jayden.

jail

noun

A building where people are held in custody, typically for short sentences or while awaiting trial.

jailbait

noun

A person who has reached puberty but is, or appears to be, under the legal age of consent, and whom an adult typically views as sexually attractive or alluring.

jailbird

noun

Someone who has been, or currently is, in jail — usually said of a repeat offender.

jailbreak

noun

An escape from prison.

jailer

noun

A person whose job is to guard prisoners in a jail.

jailhouse

noun

A building used as a jail.

jaime

name

A unisex first name.

Jain

adj

Relating to Jainism, the ancient Indian religion built around nonviolence toward all living things.

jainist

noun

An adherent of Jainism, a religion mainly practised in India.

Jaipur

name

The capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, famous for its pink-hued old town.

jak

name

A rarely used male first name, a variant of Jack.

Jakarta

name

The capital and largest city of Indonesia.

jake

adj

Fine, acceptable, or satisfactory — an old-fashioned slang term.

jakes

noun

An old-fashioned word for an outdoor toilet or outhouse.

jakeshouse

noun

A small building outside a house containing a toilet.

jakey

noun

Slang, chiefly British and Scottish, for a homeless person who drinks heavily.

Jakob

name

A male given name, a variant spelling of "Jacob" common in German and Scandinavian languages.

Jal

name

A small city in Lea County, New Mexico.

jalopy

noun

An old, run-down car, especially one that still somehow runs.

jalousie

noun

A part used in a system that lets air flow through a building.

jam

noun

A sweet spread made by boiling fruit with sugar until it thickens.

Jamaica

name

An island country in the Caribbean Sea, known for reggae music and its distinct culture.

Jamaican

adj

Relating to Jamaica, its people, culture, or language.

Jamal

name

A male given name of Arabic origin, meaning "beauty."

jamb

noun

Either of the two upright side posts of a doorway, window or fireplace, which the frame and hinges are fixed to.

jambalaya

noun

A Louisiana rice dish, typically made with meat, seafood, and vegetables cooked together with spices.

jambeau

noun

A piece of armour that protects the leg, mainly the part below the knee.

jambo

noun

(informal) A supporter of the Scottish football club Heart of Midlothian.

jamboree

noun

A lively, large-scale celebration or gathering.

jamborette

noun

A small, brief jamboree.

jambuster

noun

A round doughnut with jam inside it.

James

name

A common English male given name, traditionally derived from the Hebrew name that also gives us "Jacob."

Jameson

name

A Scottish and Northern Irish surname meaning "son of James."

Jamestown

name

The name of several towns and places in English-speaking countries, most famously the first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in 1607.

jamie

name

A unisex first name.

Jamieson

name

A surname meaning "son of Jamie."

Jamil

name

A male given name of Arabic origin, meaning "beautiful" or "handsome."

Jamila

name

A female given name of Arabic origin, meaning "beautiful."

Jamison

name

A Scottish surname, and sometimes a given name, meaning "son of Jamie."

jammed

adj

Stuck fast and unable to move.

Jammer

noun

A device that blocks or disrupts radio, phone, or other signals by broadcasting interference.

jamming

noun

The act of blocking or getting something stuck.

jammy

adj

Covered in or tasting of jam.

Jan

name

A given name, used for both men and women in different languages — a male name equivalent to "John" in Dutch, German, and Slavic languages, and a shortened female name elsewhere.

Jana

name

A female given name, common in Czech and other Central European languages.

janaka

name

An ancient king of Videha. The Janaka dynasty ruled the Videha kingdom in the Mithila region from the capital city of the same name.

Janaki

name

A female given name from Sanskrit, also used as another name for the goddess Sita in the Hindu epic the Ramayana.

Jane

name

A common female given name, the standard feminine form of "John" in English since the 1600s.

Janelle

name

A female given name, formed as an elaboration of "Jane."

janessa

name

A female given name that began as a coinage.

Janet

name

A female given name, a diminutive of Jane, historically common in Scotland.

Janette

name

A female given name, a variant of Janet.

Janeway

name

A surname, notably borne by the fictional Star Trek captain Kathryn Janeway.

Janey

name

A diminutive of the female given name Jane, also a surname.

Jang

noun

A group of fermented seasoning pastes, such as soy sauce or soybean paste, used as the flavor base in Korean cooking.

jangle

verb

To make, or cause something to make, a harsh rattling or clanging sound.

jangler

noun

A person or thing that makes a jangling sound.

jangling

noun

The rattling, clanging sound made by things like keys, chains, or coins knocking together.

Janice

name

A female given name, a variant of Jane influenced by names like Alice and Bernice.

janiceps

noun

Conjoined twins whose heads are joined together but face opposite ways.

Janie

name

A diminutive of the female given name Jane.

Janine

name

A female given name of French origin, related to Jeanne and Jane.

Janis

name

A female given name, a variant of Janice, notably borne by singer Janis Joplin.

janissary

noun

A soldier of the elite Ottoman infantry corps, historically often of Balkan Christian origin and forcibly converted to Islam, whose corps was disbanded in 1826.

janitor

noun

A person employed to clean and maintain a building, such as a school or office.

janitorial

adj

Relating to the cleaning and maintenance work of a janitor.