English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Jermaine

name

A masculine given name derived from the French word for "German."

Jerome

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "sacred name," borne by Saint Jerome, translator of the Latin Vulgate Bible.

Jerri

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Jeri or Geri, short for Geraldine.

jerrold

name

A male given name from the Germanic languages, a re-spelling of Gerald.

Jerry

noun

A casual nickname for Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy, or similar names.

jerrycan

noun

A sturdy, roughly rectangular container, usually made of pressed steel, for carrying fuel or water.

jersey

noun

A close-fitting knitted top, originally made of wool, worn on the upper body.

Jerusalem

name

A city in the Middle East, considered holy by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the capital claimed by Israel.

Jervis

name

An English surname, a variant of Jarvis, derived from a Germanic personal name.

jesica

name

A female given name that is a variant of Jessica.

Jess

noun

A short strap fastened around a hawk's leg in falconry, used to attach a leash.

Jessa

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Jessica.

jessamine

name

A female first name of English, variant of Jasmine origin.

Jesse

noun

A decorative artwork, often a stained-glass window or branching candlestick, showing the family tree leading to Christ.

Jessica

name

A feminine given name, believed to have been coined by Shakespeare in "The Merchant of Venice" from the Hebrew name Iscah.

Jessie

noun

A dated, derogatory British slang term for a weak or effeminate man.

jessika

name

A female first name of Hebrew, of rare, modern usage, variant of Jessica origin.

Jessop

name

An English surname, a variant of Jessup, itself a form of Joseph.

Jessup

name

An English surname derived from the given name Joseph.

jest

noun

A remark or action meant as a joke rather than seriously.

jester

noun

Historically, an entertainer employed by a royal or noble court to amuse people with jokes, music, and clowning.

Jesu

name

An archaic or poetic vocative form of the name Jesus, used especially in older hymns and prayers.

Jesuit

noun

A member of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order known for its schools and missionary work.

Jesus

noun

The central figure of Christianity, regarded by Christians as the son of God and the Messiah.

Jesus H. Christ

interjection

An exclamation of shock, anger, exasperation or amazement, formed by inserting a mock middle initial into the name of Jesus Christ for extra emphasis.

jet

noun

A fast-moving stream of liquid, gas, or flame forced out of a small opening.

jet lag

noun

The tiredness, disturbed sleep, and general disorientation felt after flying quickly across several time zones, caused by the body's internal clock being out of step with local time.

Jeter

name

An American surname, notably borne by former baseball shortstop Derek Jeter.

Jethro

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "abundance," the biblical father-in-law of Moses.

jetliner

noun

A large passenger aircraft powered by jet engines.

jetpack

verb

To fly or travel using a wearable device that propels the user through the air with jets of gas.

Jets

name

A nickname used by several sports teams, most notably the New York Jets of the NFL.

jetsam

noun

Goods thrown from a ship in trouble to make it lighter.

jetson

noun

Goods thrown overboard from a ship to lighten it, especially in an emergency.

Jett

name

A masculine given name inspired by the word "jet," suggesting speed.

jette

name

The name of a municipality in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region, Belgium.

jetter

noun

(informal) A person who boasts confidently about themselves.

jettison

verb

To throw cargo or equipment overboard or overboard-equivalent, usually to lighten a vessel or aircraft in an emergency.

jetty

noun

A narrow structure built out into water, used as a landing place for boats or to protect a shoreline.

Jew

noun

A person who is Jewish by religion, ethnicity, or descent.

jewel

noun

A precious stone, especially one cut and polished for use in jewellery.

jeweler

noun

Someone whose trade is making, repairing, or selling jewellery.

jeweller

noun

A person whose job is making, repairing or selling jewellery.

jewellery

noun

Ornamental items such as rings, necklaces, and bracelets, typically made from precious metals or stones.

jewelry

noun

Ornamental items such as rings, necklaces, and bracelets, typically made from precious metals or stones.

jewels

noun

Plural of jewel; precious stones or ornamental items made with them.

Jewess

noun

A Jewish woman or girl (now often considered dated or potentially offensive).

jewfish

noun

Any of several large fish, mostly groupers or fish that look similar to them.

Jewish

adj

Relating to Judaism, the Jewish people, or Jewish culture and heritage.

jewry

noun

Jewish people as a group.

Jez

name

A short, informal form of the given name Jeremy (or Jeremiah).

Jezebel

noun

A scheming, shameless, or manipulative woman (from the biblical queen of the same name).

JFC

interjection

Jesus fucking Christ; an exclamation of exasperation, shock or disbelief, used in text and online.

JFK

noun

Common shorthand for U.S. President John F. Kennedy, or for New York's JFK International Airport.

jhatka

noun

A method of killing an animal for food by cutting off its head in one stroke, seen as an alternative to ritual slaughter.

Ji

name

A Korean and Chinese given name element and surname, with meanings varying by the underlying character, often "wisdom" or "aspiration."

Jia

name

A Chinese given name, commonly meaning "good" or "beautiful" depending on the character used.

Jian

name

A Chinese masculine given name, often meaning "strong" or "healthy" depending on the character used.

Jiang

name

A common Chinese surname, also meaning "river."

jiangnan

name

The name of a loosely defined area of China that always takes in the lands lying south of the Yangtze's lower reaches, in Shanghai together with southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang, and that sometimes also includes its cultural sphere lying north of the river, sometimes reaching as far south as Guangdong.

jiao

noun

A Chinese unit of currency equal to one tenth of a yuan.

jib

noun

A triangular sail set at the front of a sailboat, ahead of the mainmast.

jibe

noun

A joking or insulting comment aimed at someone.

Jie

noun

An ancient nomadic people of northern China, historically grouped by the Han Chinese among the so-called "Five Barbarians."

jiff

noun

A very short amount of time; a moment.

jiffy

noun

(informal) A very short amount of time.

jig

noun

A lively folk dance, or the fast tune written for it, typically in 6/8 time.

jigaboo

noun

(offensive) A black person.

jigger

noun

A small measuring cup used by bartenders to pour a precise amount of liquor, typically 1 to 1.5 fluid ounces.

jiggle

verb

To move or shake something with quick, short movements from side to side.

jiggling

noun

A quick, small back-and-forth or up-and-down movement.

jiggly

adj

Wobbling or shaking slightly, especially describing something soft.

jiggy

adj

Excited, fidgety, or full of restless energy.

jigsaw

noun

A power tool with a thin blade that moves rapidly up and down, used to cut curved shapes in wood or metal.

jihad

noun

In Islam, a struggle or striving — either an inner spiritual effort toward self-improvement, or, in some contexts, armed struggle in defense of the faith.

jihadi

noun

A person who takes part in or supports armed jihad, especially as part of a militant movement.

jihadist

noun

A person who takes part in a jihad, an Islamic holy war or armed struggle.

Jill

noun

An old-fashioned informal term for a young woman or sweetheart, as in the phrase "every Jack has his Jill."

Jillian

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Gillian, ultimately from the Roman family name Julius.

jillion

noun

An extremely large but unspecified number of things.

Jilly

name

A feminine given name, a pet form of Jillian or Gillian.

jilt

noun

A woman who quickly discards her lover.

Jim

verb

To pry or force something open, or to tamper with it clumsily (a casual variant of "jimmy").

jimbang

noun

Another word for shebang, meaning a thing or the matter at hand, often in the phrase 'the whole jimbang'.

Jimbo

name

A masculine given name, an informal, jocular pet form of James or Jim.

Jimenez

name

A Spanish surname, a patronymic form meaning "son of Jimeno."

Jimi

name

A masculine given name, a stylized variant of Jimmy, famously used by guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

jiminy

intj

An exclamation of mild surprise or annoyance.

jimjam

noun

A word used instead of the name of something or someone when you cannot remember or do not know it.

jimmi

name

A short form of James, used as a male given name.

Jimmie

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Jimmy, a pet form of James.

Jimmy

verb

To force open, especially a lock or window, using a crowbar or similar tool.

jin

noun

In bonsai cultivation, a section of dead, stripped wood on a branch or trunk, shaped to suggest age.

Jing

noun

In traditional Chinese medicine, a vital essence stored in the kidneys believed to be the foundation of physical health and long life.

jingle

noun

A short, catchy tune used in advertising to help people remember a product or brand.

jingling

noun

A light, ringing, rattling sound, like small bells or coins knocking together.

jingo

noun

A person who backs a warlike foreign policy.

jingoism

noun

Extreme national pride combined with a readiness to be hostile towards other countries.

jingoist

noun

A person who loudly backs their country's military goals and pushes an aggressive form of nationalism.

jings

intj

Something people say suddenly to show they are surprised.

jinja

noun

A building where people practise the Shinto religion.

jinkies

intj

An exclamation of surprise or amazement.

jinks

intj

An exclamation of surprise, similar to "jinkies."

jinn

noun

In Arabic and Islamic tradition, a supernatural being made of smokeless fire, distinct from angels and humans, capable of taking different forms.

Jinnah

name

A surname, most notably borne by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.

Jinny

name

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

jinx

noun

A curse or spell believed to bring bad luck.

jip

noun

Vulgar slang for semen.

jird

noun

Any of several rodents that damage crops, from the genus Meriones, or from selected species within the genera Sekeetamys, Brachiones, and, in some cases, Pachyuromys.

Jiro

name

A Japanese masculine given name, traditionally meaning "second son."

JIT

noun

A young person, especially a kid or teenager seen as inexperienced; common in US hip-hop and Southern slang.

jitney

noun

Another word for a nickel, a coin or sum worth five cents.

jitterbug

noun

A lively swing dance from the 1930s and 40s, built on a two-step pattern with energetic, sometimes acrobatic moves.

jitteriness

noun

A feeling of being nervous and unable to keep still.

jittery

adj

Nervous, anxious, or unable to keep still.

jiu

noun

A general term for Chinese alcoholic drinks, especially spirits.

jive

noun

A lively swing dance, or the jazz/swing music it's danced to.

Jiya

name

A feminine given name of Hindi origin, meaning "heart" or "the meaning of life."

jizhou

name

The name of a district of Tianjin, China.

jizz

noun

Among birdwatchers, the overall look, posture, and movement of a bird that lets an experienced observer identify its species at a glance, without checking individual field marks.

jizzbag

noun

(informal) An insulting word used to abuse someone.

JJ

name

A unisex given name or nickname formed from a person's initials, typically standing for two names beginning with J.

JK

noun

Slang, from Japanese, for a high-school-age girl.

jo

noun

A sweetheart or darling (chiefly Scots).

Joachim

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God will establish," traditionally the name of the father of the Virgin Mary.

joachimite

noun

A member of a 13th-century religious group, connected to the Franciscans, who followed the teachings of Joachim of Fiore but was even more critical of the Church than he was.

Joan

noun

A generic or placeholder name for an ordinary woman, especially a young working-class one.

Joanie

noun

A casual, affectionate nickname for the name Joan.

Joann

name

A feminine given name, a combination of Jo and Ann, related to Joanne.

joanna

noun

British slang for a piano.

Joanne

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Joan combined with Anne, ultimately from Hebrew meaning "God is gracious."

Joao

name

A masculine given name, the Portuguese form of John.

Joaquin

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish form of Joachim.

job

noun

A paid position of regular employment.

jobber

noun

Someone who is paid for each piece of work they do, or who finds other people to do such work.

jobby

noun

(informal) Work that you also enjoy as a hobby, such as your ideal job or an extra job done for pleasure.

jobday

noun

A day, or the usual part of a day, usually about eight hours, that someone spends at work.

jobe

verb

To scold or lecture someone at length.

jobforce

noun

Everyone who works for a particular company, government or project.

jobless

adj

Without paid employment; unemployed.

joblessness

noun

The condition of not having a job.

joburg

name

Syllabic abbreviation of Johannesburg: the largest city in South Africa, in Gauteng province.

Jocelyn

name

A unisex given name of Germanic origin, originally a masculine name that became common for girls.

jock

noun

Informal, especially American, term for an athlete, particularly one more known for sport than academics.

jockey

noun

A person who rides horses professionally in races.

jockeys

noun

Informal term for men's brief-style underwear.

jocko

noun

A decorative lawn ornament shaped like a groom holding a lantern, historically depicting a Black stable hand.

jocks

noun

Informal term for men's underwear briefs.

jockstrap

noun

A supportive undergarment worn by men during sports to protect the genitals.

jocose

adj

Fond of making jokes and generally cheerful.