Jointweed noun (Botany) A slender, nearly leafless, American herb ( Polygonum articulatum ), with jointed spikes of small flowers.

Jointworm noun (Zoology) The larva of a small, hymenopterous fly ( Eurytoma hordei ), which is found in gall-like swellings on the stalks of wheat, usually at or just above the first joint. In some parts of America it does great damage to the crop.

Joist (joist) noun [ Middle English giste , Old French giste , French gîte , from gesir to lie, French gésir . See Gist .] (Architecture) A piece of timber laid horizontally, or nearly so, to which the planks of the floor, or the laths or furring strips of a ceiling, are nailed; -- called, according to its position or use, binding joist , bridging joist , ceiling joist , trimming joist , etc. See Illust. of Double-framed floor , under Double , adjective

Joist transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Joisted ; present participle & verbal noun Joisting .] To fit or furnish with joists. Johnson.

Joke noun [ Latin jocus . Cf Jeopardy , Jocular , Juggler .]

1. Something said for the sake of exciting a laugh; something witty or sportive (commonly indicating more of hilarity or humor than jest ); a jest; a witticism; as, to crack good-natured jokes .

And gentle dullness ever loves a joke .

Pope.

Or witty joke our airy senses moves
To pleasant laughter.

Gay.

2. Something not said seriously, or not actually meant; something done in sport.

Inclose whole downs in walls, 't is all a joke .

Pope.

In joke , in jest; sportively; not meant seriously. -- Practical joke . See under Practical .

Joke transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Joked ; present participle & verbal noun Joking .] To make merry with; to make jokes upon; to rally; to banter; as, to joke a comrade.

Joke intransitive verb [ Latin jocari .] To do something for sport, or as a joke; to be merry in words or actions; to jest.

He laughed, shouted, joked , and swore.

Macaulay.

Syn. -- To jest; sport; rally; banter. See Jest .

Joker noun
1. One who makes jokes or jests; a humorist; a wag.

2. (Card Playing) See Best bower , under 2d Bower .

Jokingly adverb In a joking way; sportively.

Jole, Joll transitive verb & noun Same as Jowl . Shak.

Jolif adjective [ See Jolly .] Joyful; merry; pleasant; jolly. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Jollification noun [ Jolly + Latin -ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy .] A merrymaking; noisy festivity. [ Colloq.]

We have had a jollification or so together.

Sir W. Scott.

Jollily adverb In a jolly manner.

Jolliment noun Jollity. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Jolliness noun Jollity; noisy mirth. Chaucer.

Jollity noun [ From Jolly : confer Old French jolieté , joliveté .] Noisy mirth; gayety; merriment; festivity; boisterous enjoyment. Chaucer.

All now was turned to jollity and game.

Milton.

He with a proud jollity commanded him to leave that quarrel only for him, who was only worthy to enter into it.

Sir P. Sidney.

Syn. -- Merriment; mirth; gayety; festivity; hilarity.

Jolly (jŏl"lȳ) adjective [ Compar. Jollier (-lĭ*ẽr); superl. Jolliest .] [ Old French joli , jolif , joyful, merry, French joli pretty; of Scand. origin, akin to English yule ; confer Icelandic jōl yule, Christmas feast. See Yule .]

1. Full of life and mirth; jovial; joyous; merry; mirthful.

Like a jolly troop of huntsmen.

Shak.

"A jolly place," said he, "in times of old!
But something ails it now: the spot is cursed."

Wordsworth.

2. Expressing mirth, or inspiring it; exciting mirth and gayety.

And with his jolly pipe delights the groves.

Prior.

Their jolly notes they chanted loud and clear.

Fairfax.

3. Of fine appearance; handsome; excellent; lively; agreeable; pleasant. "A jolly cool wind." Sir T. North. [ Now mostly colloquial ]

Full jolly knight he seemed, and fair did sit.

Spenser.

The coachman is swelled into jolly dimensions.

W. Irving.

Jolly transitive verb To cause to be jolly; to make good-natured; to encourage to feel pleasant or cheerful; -- often implying an insincere or bantering spirit; hence, to poke fun at. [ Colloq.]

We want you to jolly them up a bit.

Brander Matthews.

At noon we lunched at the tail of the ambulance, and gently " jollied " the doctor's topography.

F. Remington.

Jolly noun ; plural Jollies . [ Prob. from Jolly , adjective ] A marine in the English navy. [ Sailor's Slang]

I'm a Jolly -- 'Er Majesty's Jolly -- soldier an' sailor too!

Kipling.

Jolly-boat noun [ A corruption of Danish jolle yawl, or of Dutch jol yawl + English boat . See Yawl the boat.] (Nautical) A boat of medium size belonging to a ship.

Jollyhead noun Jollity. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Jolt (jōlt) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Jolted ; present participle & verbal noun Jolting.] [ Prob. from jole , joll , jowl , and originally meaning, to knock on the head. See Jowl .] To shake with short, abrupt risings and fallings, as a carriage moving on rough ground; as, the coach jolts .

Jolt transitive verb To cause to shake with a sudden up and down motion, as in a carriage going over rough ground, or on a high-trotting horse; as, the horse jolts the rider; fast driving jolts the carriage and the passengers.

Jolt noun A sudden shock or jerk; a jolting motion, as in a carriage moving over rough ground.

The first jolt had like to have shaken me out.

Swift.

Jolter noun One who, or that which, jolts.

Jolterhead, Jolthead noun [ See Jolt , Jowl .] A dunce; a blockhead. Sir T. North.

Joltingly adverb In a jolting manner.

Jolty adjective That jolts; as, a jolty coach. [ Colloq.]

Jonah noun The Hebrew prophet, who was cast overboard as one who endangered the ship; hence, any person whose presence is unpropitious.

Jonah crab (Zoology) , a large crab ( Cancer borealis ) of the eastern coast of the United States, sometimes found between tides, but usually in deep water.

Jonesian adjective Of or pertaining to Jones.

The Jonesian system , a system of transliterating Oriental words by English letters, invented by Sir William Jones.

Jongleur, Jongler noun [ French jongleur . See Juggler .]

1. In the Middle Ages, a court attendant or other person who, for hire, recited or sang verses, usually of his own composition. See Troubadour .

Vivacity and picturesquenees of the jongleur's verse.

J R. Green.

2. A juggler; a conjuror. See Juggler . Milton.

Jonquil, Jonquille noun [ French jonquille , from Latin juncus a rush, because it has rushlike leaves.] (Botany) A bulbous plant of the genus Narcissus ( N. Jonquilla ), allied to the daffodil. It has long, rushlike leaves, and yellow or white fragrant flowers. The root has emetic properties. It is sometimes called the rush-leaved daffodil . See Illust. of Corona .

Joram noun See Jorum .

Jordan, Jorden noun [ Prob. from the river Jordan , and shortened from Jordan bottle a bottle of water from the Jordan, brought back by pilgrims.]

1. A pot or vessel with a large neck, formerly used by physicians and alchemists. [ Obsolete] Halliwell.

2. A chamber pot. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Shak.

Jorum noun [ Perh. corrupted from jorden an earthen pot.] A large drinking vessel; also, its contents. [ Colloq. Eng.] Forby.

Joseph noun An outer garment worn in the 18th century; esp., a woman's riding habit, buttoned down the front. Fairholt.

Joseph's flower (Botany) A composite herb ( Tragopogon pratensis ), of the same genus as the salsify.

Joso noun (Zoology) A small gudgeon.

Joss noun [ Chinese, corrupt. from Portuguese deos God, Latin deus .] A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol. "Critic in jars and josses ." Colman (1761).

Joss house , a Chinese temple or house for the Chinese mode of worship. -- Joss stick , a reed covered with a paste made of the dust of odoriferous woods, or a cylinder made wholly of the paste; -- burned by the Chinese before an idol.

Joss paper Gold and silver paper burned by the Chinese, in the form of coins or ingots, in worship and at funerals.

Jossa interj. A command to a horse, probably meaning "stand still." [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Jostle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Jostled ; present participle & verbal noun Jostling .] [ A dim. of joust , just , v. See Joust , and confer Justle .] [ Written also justle .] To run against and shake; to push out of the way; to elbow; to hustle; to disturb by crowding; to crowd against. "Bullies jostled him." Macaulay.

Systems of movement, physical, intellectual, and moral, which are perpetually jostling each other.

I. Taylor.

Jostle intransitive verb To push; to crowd; to hustle.

None jostle with him for the wall.

Lamb.

Jostle noun A conflict by collisions; a crowding or bumping together; interference.

The jostle of South African nationalities and civilization.

The Nation.

Jostlement noun Crowding; hustling.

Jot noun [ Latin iota , Greek ... the name of the letter (E. i , Hebrew y...d ), the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. Confer Iota .] An iota; a point; a tittle; the smallest particle. Confer Bit , noun

Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matt. v. 18.

Neither will they bate
One jot of ceremony.

Shak.

Jot transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Jotted ; present participle & verbal noun Jotting .] To set down; to make a brief note of; -- usually followed by down .

Jotter noun
1. One who jots down memoranda.

2. A memorandum book.

Jougs noun [ French joug a yoke, Latin jugum . See Yoke .] An iron collar fastened to a wall or post, formerly used in Scotland as a kind of pillory. [ Written also juggs .] See Juke . Sir W. Scott.

Jouissance noun [ French, from jouir to enjoy, from Latin gaudere to rejoice.] Jollity; merriment. [ Obsolete] Spenser.