Jointweed Joint"weed` noun (Botany) A slender, nearly leafless, American herb ( Polygonum articulatum ), with jointed spikes of small flowers.
Jointworm Joint"worm` 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 (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 Joist transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Joisted ;
present participle & verbal noun Joisting .]
To fit or furnish with joists. Johnson.
Joke 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 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 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 Jok"er noun 1. One who makes jokes or jests; a humorist; a wag. 2. (Card Playing) See Best bower , under 2d Bower .
Jokingly Jok"ingˇly adverb In a joking way; sportively.
Jole, Joll Jole, Joll transitive verb & noun Same as Jowl . Shak.
Jolif Jolˇif" adjective [ See
Jolly .]
Joyful; merry; pleasant; jolly. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Jollification Jol`liˇfiˇca"tion 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 Jol"liˇly adverb In a jolly manner.
Jolliment Jol"liˇment noun Jollity. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Jolliness Jol"liˇness noun Jollity; noisy mirth. Chaucer.
Jollity Jol"liˇty 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 Jol"ly (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 Jol"ly 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 Jol"ly 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 Jol"ly-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 Jol"lyˇhead noun Jollity. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Jolt 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 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 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 Jolt"er noun One who, or that which, jolts.
Jolterhead, Jolthead Jolt"erˇhead`, Jolt"head` noun [ See
Jolt ,
Jowl .]
A dunce; a blockhead. Sir T. North.
Joltingly Jolt"ingˇly adverb In a jolting manner.
Jolty Jolt"y adjective That jolts; as, a jolty coach. [ Colloq.]
Jonah Jo"nah 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 Joˇne"sian 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 Jon"gleur, Jon"gler 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 Jon"quil, Jon"quille 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 Jo"ram noun See Jorum .
Jordan, Jorden Jor"dan, Jor"den 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 Jo"rum noun [ Perh. corrupted from
jorden an earthen pot.]
A large drinking vessel; also, its contents. [ Colloq. Eng.]
Forby.
Joseph Jo"seph noun An outer garment worn in the 18th century; esp., a woman's riding habit, buttoned down the front. Fairholt.
Joseph's flower Jo"seph's flow"er (Botany) A composite herb ( Tragopogon pratensis ), of the same genus as the salsify.
Joso Jo"so noun (Zoology) A small gudgeon.
Joss 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 Joss paper Gold and silver paper burned by the Chinese, in the form of coins or ingots, in worship and at funerals.
Jossa Jos"sa interj. A command to a horse, probably meaning "stand still." [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Jostle Jos"tle 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 Jos"tle intransitive verb To push; to crowd; to hustle. None jostle with him for the wall.
Lamb.
Jostle Jos"tle noun A conflict by collisions; a crowding or bumping together; interference. The jostle of South African nationalities and civilization.
The Nation.
Jostlement Jos"tleˇment noun Crowding; hustling.
Jot 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 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 Jot"ter noun 1. One who jots down memoranda. 2. A memorandum book.
Jougs 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 Jou"isˇsance noun [ French, from
jouir to enjoy, from Latin
gaudere to rejoice.]
Jollity; merriment. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
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