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English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

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“J” Words

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."
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.
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.
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.
jobe
verb
To scold or lecture someone at length.
jobless
adj
Without paid employment; unemployed.
Jobs
name
An English surname, most notably borne by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
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.
jodi
noun
In South Asian English, a pair or couple, especially a matched or well-suited one.
Jody
noun
Military slang for the man who takes up with a soldier's partner while the soldier is away.
Joe
noun
An ordinary man; a generic term for "guy" or "fellow."
Joel
name
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "Yahweh is God," also the name of a biblical prophet.
Joelle
name
A feminine given name, the French feminine form of Joel.
joey
noun
A baby kangaroo or similar marsupial.
jog
noun
A slow, steady run, often done for exercise.
jogger
noun
A person who jogs regularly, usually for fitness.
jogging
noun
Running at an easy, steady pace, usually for exercise rather than speed.
Jogi
name
An Indo-Aryan language spoken in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India.
Johan
name
A masculine given name, a Scandinavian and Germanic form of John.
Johann
name
A masculine given name, the German form of John, borne by many notable composers and scientists.
Johanna
name
A feminine given name, the German and Scandinavian form of Joanna.
Johannes
noun
An old Portuguese gold coin, stamped with the image of King John V, that circulated in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Johannesburg
name
The largest city in South Africa, founded during the nineteenth-century gold rush.
Johansen
name
A Scandinavian surname meaning "son of Johan."
Johansson
name
A Swedish surname meaning "son of Johan."
john
noun
Informal US term for a toilet.
Johnathan
name
A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Jonathan.
Johnnie
name
A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Johnny, a pet form of John.
Johnno
name
An informal Australian and British nickname for a man named John or Jonathan.
Johnny
noun
British slang for a condom.
Johns
name
An English surname derived from the given name John.
johnson
noun
Vulgar slang for the penis.
Johnston
name
A Scottish surname, originally referring to someone from a place in Dumfriesshire whose name meant "John's town."
Johnstone
name
A surname, and the name of a town in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Joie
name
A short, informal form of the male name Joseph or the female name Josephine.
join
verb
To connect two or more things so they form a single unit.
joiner
noun
A skilled tradesperson who builds furniture, doors, and fittings from wood.
joining
noun
The point or seam where two things meet or are fastened together.
joint
adj
Shared or done by two or more people together.
jointly
adv
Done together by two or more people, sharing responsibility or ownership.
jojo
noun
A thick, seasoned potato wedge that is battered and deep-fried.
joke
noun
A short story or remark meant to make people laugh.
joker
noun
A person who likes making jokes.
jokes
adj
Slang for very funny or entertaining.
joking
noun
The act of telling jokes or not being serious.
Jolene
name
A female given name, made famous by the Dolly Parton song of the same title.
Jolie
name
A female given name from French, meaning "pretty."
jolly
adj
Cheerful, good-humoured, and full of high spirits.
Jolson
name
A surname, most famously borne by the entertainer Al Jolson.
jolt
verb
To shake or push something abruptly and roughly.
Jolyon
name
A male given name, an old spelling of Julian that has stayed in gentle, occasional use since the 1920s.
Jon
name
A male given name, a short form of John or Jonathan.
Jonah
noun
Someone or something believed to bring bad luck, especially aboard a ship.
Jonas
name
A male given name from Hebrew, related to the biblical prophet Jonah.
Jonathan
noun
A variety of red-skinned apple, tart and crisp, first grown in New York.
Jonathon
name
A male given name, an alternate spelling of Jonathan.
jones
noun
Slang for heroin.
jonesing
adjective
Suffering withdrawal, or desperately craving something.
jong
noun
A fortified Tibetan building, usually serving as both a monastery and a fortress, that anchors a local district.
Joni
name
A female given name, commonly used as a nickname for Joan.
Jonny
name
A male given name, a variant spelling of Johnny, or a nickname for Jonathan.
Joo
name
A Korean surname.
Joplin
name
A surname, borne by the ragtime composer Scott Joplin and the rock singer Janis Joplin.
Jordan
name
A country in the Middle East, and the river that flows through it into the Dead Sea.
Jordy
name
A male given name, a nickname for Jordan or George.
Jorge
name
A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to the English name George.
Jos
name
A short, informal form of the male name Joseph.
Jose
name
A male given name from Spanish and Portuguese, equivalent to the English name Joseph.
Josef
name
A male given name, a variant spelling of Joseph used in German, Czech, and other European languages.
Josefina
name
A municipality in the Zamboanga del Sur province of the Philippines.
Joseon
name
A Korean kingdom and ruling dynasty that governed the Korean Peninsula from 1392 to 1897.
Joseph
name
A figure in the Hebrew Bible, the favored son of Jacob who was sold into slavery by his brothers but rose to power in Egypt.
Josephine
name
A female given name from French, the feminine form of Joseph.
Josephus
name
Flavius Josephus, a Roman-Jewish historian of the first century known for his accounts of Jewish history and the fall of Jerusalem.
Josh
name
A male given name, a short form of Joshua.
joshi
noun
Japanese women's professional wrestling, or a female wrestler within that scene.
Joshua
name
A book of the Hebrew Bible, and its central figure, who led the Israelites after the death of Moses.
Joshy
name
A male given name, an affectionate nickname for Joshua.
Josiah
name
A king of Judah in the Hebrew Bible, remembered for his religious reforms.
Josie
name
A female given name, a nickname for Josephine.
joss
noun
A Chinese religious figure or idol worshipped in a household or temple.
jostle
verb
To bump or push against someone while moving, often in a crowd.
jot
noun
A tiny amount of something; the smallest bit.
Joubert
name
A surname of French and Afrikaans origin.
journal
noun
A personal diary where someone regularly records thoughts or events.
journalism
noun
The work of gathering, writing, and publishing news for the public.
journalist
noun
Someone whose job is reporting on news and current events.
journalistic
adjective
Relating to journalism or the style typical of journalists.
journey
noun
A trip from one place to another, especially a long one.
joust
noun
A contest in which two mounted knights charge at each other with lances.
jousting
noun
A medieval sport in which armored knights on horseback charged each other with lances.
Jovan
name
A male given name, the Macedonian and Serbian form of John.
Jove
name
Another name for Jupiter, the Roman king of the gods.
jovial
adjective
Cheerful, friendly, and full of good humor.
joy
noun
A feeling of great happiness or delight.
Joyce
name
An English and Irish surname, most famously borne by the novelist James Joyce.
joyful
adj
Full of joy; feeling or causing great happiness.
joyfully
adv
In a way that shows or is full of joy.
Joyner
name
A surname, an occupational name for someone who made furniture — a joiner.
joyous
adj
Full of joy; happy or delightful.
joyride
noun
A drive taken purely for fun, with no real destination or purpose.
joyriding
noun
The act of taking a joyride, especially in a stolen vehicle.
joystick
noun
A hand-operated lever used to control machinery, video games, or aircraft.
Jr
adj
Abbreviation for "junior," used after a name to distinguish a son from a father who shares the same name.
ju
noun
A unit of a traditional Chinese book, roughly equivalent to a chapter or volume.
Juan
name
A male given name from Spanish, equivalent to the English name John.
Juana
name
A female given name from Spanish, the feminine counterpart of Juan.
Juanita
name
A female given name from Spanish, a diminutive form of Juana.
Juarez
name
A surname of Spanish origin.
Jubal
name
A biblical figure, the son of Lamech, described in Genesis as an ancestor of musicians.
jubilation
noun
A loud, joyful celebration; a strong feeling of triumphant happiness.
jubilee
noun
A major anniversary of an event, especially the fiftieth anniversary of a coronation, wedding, or similar milestone.
jud
noun
A block of coal cut or undercut so it can be brought down with wedges (a mining term).
Judah
name
In the Bible, the fourth son of Jacob, and also the name of the Israelite tribe and ancient kingdom descended from him.
Judaism
noun
The monotheistic religion and culture of the Jewish people, based on the Hebrew Bible and later religious writings.
Judas
intj
An exclamation of shock or surprise at something bad, similar to "Jesus!"
Judd
name
A surname, also used as a male given name.
Jude
name
A male given name of Hebrew origin, also the name of a short book near the end of the New Testament.
Judea
name
The Roman-era name for the historical region of Judah, in what is now Israel and Palestine.
judge
noun
A public official who presides over court cases and delivers rulings.
Judges
name
A book of the Old Testament that tells the story of Israel's early leaders, called judges.
judging
noun
The act of forming an opinion or deciding a ruling or contest outcome.
judgment
noun
The ability to make sensible decisions; good sense.
judgmental
adj
Quick to criticize or disapprove of others.
judgy
adj
Informal for judgmental; quick to disapprove.
Judi
name
A short, informal form of the female given name Judith.
judicial
adj
Relating to courts of law, judges, or the administration of justice.
judiciary
noun
The branch of government made up of courts and judges.
Judith
name
A female given name of Hebrew origin, meaning roughly "woman of Judea."
judo
noun
A Japanese martial art and Olympic sport focused on throws, holds, and grappling rather than striking.
Judson
name
A surname, and also a male given name derived from it.
Judy
name
A female given name, a shortened, informal form of Judith.