English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Janko

name

A male given name found in Slavic languages.

jann

noun

In legend, the ancestor of the jinn who lived before human beings.

jannock

adj

(informal, dialect) Friendly, honest and direct in how someone speaks and behaves.

Jansen

name

A Dutch surname meaning "son of Jan," also the name of small towns in the United States and Canada.

Janssen

name

A surname of Dutch or German origin, a variant of Jansen.

January

noun

The first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, coming after December and before February.

Janus

name

The Roman god of doorways, gateways, and transitions, depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions; also a moon of Saturn.

Japan

name

An island nation in East Asia, whose capital is Tokyo.

Japanese

adj

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

japanimation

noun

Another word for anime, the style of Japanese cartoon animation.

japanime

noun

Another term for anime, cartoons made in Japan.

jape

noun

A prank or piece of playful mischief, especially one described in a light-hearted or old-fashioned way.

japonia

name

Japan: A country in East Asia.

japonian

adj

Another word for Japanese; connected with Japan.

japonic

name

A language family spoken in Japan, consisting of Japanese proper and the Ryukyuan languages.

jar

noun

A small container, usually made of glass or clay, used for storing food or other items.

Jardine

name

A surname of French or Scottish origin.

Jared

name

A male given name of Hebrew biblical origin, rare in English until the 1960s.

jargon

noun

Specialized vocabulary used by people in a particular profession or field, often hard for outsiders to follow.

jarl

noun

A nobleman or chieftain in medieval Scandinavia, ranking below a king.

jarred

adj

Kept or held inside a jar.

Jarrett

name

A surname and male given name, a variant of Garrett.

jarring

adj

Causing an unpleasant shock or a sense of unsettling discord.

Jarrod

name

A male given name, a variant of Jared.

Jarvis

name

A surname derived from the medieval name Gervase, also used as a male given name.

Jas

name

A diminutive of the given names James, Jasper, or Jasmine.

Jase

name

A masculine given name, an informal short form of Jason.

Jasmin

name

A feminine given name derived from the jasmine flower, ultimately from Persian.

jasmine

noun

A climbing shrub with fragrant white or yellow flowers, or the perfume made from them.

Jason

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "healer," also the name of the mythological leader of the Argonauts.

jasper

noun

An opaque, often red or yellow variety of quartz used as a decorative or semi-precious stone.

jato

noun

A removable extra jet engine fitted to a plane to give it more power when taking off.

jaundice

noun

A medical condition causing yellowing of the skin and eyes, usually due to liver problems.

jaunt

noun

A short trip taken for pleasure.

jaunty

adj

Lively, confident, and stylish in manner or appearance.

Java

name

A large island in Indonesia, home to the capital, Jakarta.

JavaScript

noun

A programming language that runs inside a web browser and makes pages do things — respond to clicks, update without reloading, validate what you type, animate elements. It also runs on servers and other devices.

Javed

name

A masculine given name of Persian and Urdu origin, meaning "eternal" or "immortal."

javelin

noun

A light spear designed to be thrown by hand, used historically as a weapon.

Javert

noun

Someone who hunts down a person they believe has done wrong, with rigid, relentless determination.

Javier

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish form of Xavier, of Basque origin.

jaw

noun

Either of the two bones that frame the mouth and hold the teeth.

jawan

noun

A foot soldier; a soldier in general.

jawbone

noun

The bone forming the lower jaw; the mandible.

jawfallen

adj

Feeling sad and low in spirits.

jawn

noun

(informal) A word used instead of naming a thing, place or person directly.

jaws

noun

The mouth, especially when described as threatening or wide open.

Jax

name

A unisex given name, often used as a short form of Jackson or Jaxon.

jaxon

name

A male given name of modern usage, transferred from the surname, a variant of Jackson.

jaxx

name

A diminutive of the male given name Jackson of modern usage.

jay

noun

Any of several brightly coloured, noisy birds related to crows, known for their crests.

Jaya

name

A unisex given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "victory."

Jayden

name

A masculine given name, a modern coinage popularized in the late twentieth century, often said to mean "thankful."

jaydon

name

A male first name of Hebrew, of modern usage, variant of Jadon origin.

Jaye

name

A unisex given name, a variant spelling of Jay.

Jayne

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jane.

jaywalking

noun

Crossing a street illegally or carelessly, away from a crosswalk or against traffic signals.

jaz

noun

An old-fashioned spelling of "jazz."

jazz

noun

A musical style rooted in African American tradition, marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms.

jazzed

adj

Very excited or enthusiastic.

jazzy

adj

Resembling or influenced by jazz music.

jcb

noun

A digging machine made by the company JCB.

jealous

adj

Worried or suspicious that a partner's affection has shifted elsewhere.

jealously

adv

In a jealous or fiercely protective manner.

jealousness

noun

The feeling of being jealous.

jealousy

noun

A feeling of resentment or insecurity caused by fear of losing someone's affection or by envy of another's advantage.

jean

noun

A sturdy cotton twill fabric, now more commonly known by its plural form "jeans."

jeanette

noun

A lightweight, coarse cotton fabric once used for linings.

Jeanie

name

A feminine given name, a pet form of Jean or Jeanne.

Jeanne

name

A feminine given name, the French form of Jane or Joan.

Jeannette

name

A feminine given name, a French diminutive of Jeanne.

Jeannie

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jeanie or pet form of Jean.

Jeannine

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Jeanine derived from Jeanne.

jeans

noun

Trousers made of sturdy cotton denim, traditionally blue.

Jeb

name

A masculine given name, a short form of Jebediah or Jebediah-related names.

jebel

noun

A hill, a mountain (especially in the Middle East or North Africa).

jects

noun

(informal) A large block of flats built for people on low incomes.

Jed

name

A masculine given name, a short form of Jedediah.

Jedediah

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "beloved of God."

Jedi

noun

In the Star Wars fictional universe, a member of an order of warrior-monks attuned to a mystical energy called the Force.

Jeep

noun

A sturdy, boxy vehicle built for rough or off-road terrain.

jeepers

intj

An exclamation of surprise or mild dismay.

jeer

noun

A rude comment made to make fun of someone.

jeering

noun

A mocking or scornful remark, usually shouted.

jeet

intj

Casual, run-together way of asking "did you eat?" — used as an informal greeting or genuine question about food.

Jeeves

name

A surname best known as the name of the archetypal, unflappably competent valet in P. G. Wodehouse's stories.

jeevesian

adj

Like an ideal, highly capable servant or butler.

jefe

noun

A boss or leader, especially used informally in contexts with Spanish or Mexican influence.

Jeff

verb

Printing trade slang: to gamble using type spacers (em quads) as makeshift dice.

Jefferies

name

An English surname, a patronymic form meaning "son of Jeffrey."

Jeffers

name

An English surname, a shortened patronymic form of Jefferson or Jeffrey.

Jefferson

noun

A US two-dollar bill (informal, so called from the portrait of Thomas Jefferson on it).

Jeffersonian

adjective

Relating to Thomas Jefferson or the political ideas associated with him, especially limited federal government and agrarian democracy.

Jeffery

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Jeffrey.

Jeffrey

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, related to Geoffrey, and also a common English surname.

Jeffries

name

An English surname, a patronymic variant meaning "son of Jeffrey."

Jeffy

name

A masculine given name, an informal pet form of Jeffrey.

Jehovah

noun

A traditional English rendering of the Hebrew name of God found in the Old Testament.

jeju

noun

A slender freshwater fish native to South American rivers, related to the wolf fish family.

jejune

adj

Not providing enough nourishment.

jejunum

noun

The middle section of the small intestine, lying between the duodenum and the ileum.

Jekyll

name

A surname, famous as the name of Dr. Henry Jekyll in Robert Louis Stevenson's novella "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde."

Jelena

name

A feminine given name, a Slavic form of Helen, meaning "light" or "shining one."

jello

noun

A wobbly, sweet dessert made by dissolving flavored gelatin in hot water and letting it set, often known by the trademark name Jell-O.

jelly

noun

A soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert.

jellybean

noun

A small, bean-shaped, brightly colored, chewy sugar candy.

jellybrain

noun

(informal) Someone who thinks in a confused or foolish way.

jellyfish

noun

A soft-bodied, mostly transparent sea creature with a bell-shaped body and trailing tentacles, often capable of stinging.

Jem

name

A unisex given name, a short form of Jeremy or James, notably a character in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Jemima

noun

A boot with elastic side panels instead of laces or buckles, allowing it to be pulled straight on.

Jemma

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Gemma.

jemmy

noun

A sheep's head prepared and eaten as food.

Jen

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Jennifer.

Jena

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Gina or Jenna, and also a city in Germany known for its university.

Jenga

noun

A game in which players take turns pulling wooden blocks from a stacked tower and placing them on top, trying not to be the one who makes it collapse.

jenifer

name

A female first name of Cornish, a less common form of Jennifer origin.

Jenkins

noun

A person who fawns over or flatters others, especially to gain favor.

Jenks

name

An English surname, historically a variant of Jenkins.

Jenn

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Jennifer.

Jenna

name

A feminine given name, a modern variant related to Jennifer or Jane.

Jenner

name

An English surname, historically an occupational name for an engineer or ironworker, borne notably by physician Edward Jenner.

jennet

noun

A female donkey.

Jenni

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jenny, short for Jennifer.

Jennie

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jenny.

Jennifer

name

A feminine given name of Cornish origin, a form of Guinevere meaning "fair one" or "white wave."

jenny

noun

A machine with multiple spindles used to spin thread from raw fiber, historically important to the textile industry (short for "spinning jenny").

Jensen

name

A Scandinavian surname and given name, meaning "son of Jens" (a Danish form of John).

Jenson

name

A masculine given name and surname, a variant of Jensen, meaning "son of Jens."

jeon

noun

A savory Korean pancake made by coating sliced vegetables, meat, or fish in flour and egg and pan-frying them.

Jeong

name

A Korean surname and given name, also written Jung or Chung, meaning "quiet" or "calm" depending on the underlying hanja.

jeopardise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of jeopardize.

jeopardize

verb

To put something at risk of being lost, damaged, or ruined.

jeopardous

adj

Full of risk or danger.

jeopardy

noun

A situation of serious risk of harm, failure, or loss.

Jeppe

name

A Scandinavian masculine given name, a form of Jacob.

jer

noun

In Slavic linguistics, either of two short vowel sounds from Old Slavic that later weakened or disappeared in most positions.

jerald

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, an irregular spelling of Gerald.

jerboa

noun

A small desert rodent from Asia or North Africa that hops on long back legs and has a tufted tail.

Jeremiah

noun

A person who constantly predicts doom or disaster; a gloomy prophet of bad news.

Jeremy

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, the English form of Jeremiah, meaning "God will exalt."

Jeri

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jerri or Gerri, short for Geraldine.

Jericho

noun

An ancient city in the West Bank, one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, famous from the Biblical story of its walls falling.

jerilyn

name

A female given name from the Germanic languages, a 20th century variant of Geraldine.

jerk

verb

To move suddenly and sharply, often without control.

jerkball

noun

(informal) An annoying or unpleasant person.

jerking

noun

A sudden, sharp, involuntary movement.

jerko

noun

(informal) A foolish or unpleasant person.

jerkoff

noun

A person, usually male, who acts obnoxiously, rudely or inappropriately, or who disregards certain social norms.

jerkwad

noun

(informal) An unpleasant or annoying person.

jerky

adj

Moving in sudden, uneven starts and stops rather than smoothly.