j ['jā] -n

  1. the 10th letter of the English alphabet
  2. a speech counterpart of orthographic j
  3. a graphic device for reproducing the letter j
  4. a unit vector parallel to the y-axis
  5. one designated jesp. as the 10th in order or class
  6. something shaped like the letter J
  7. jack
  8. journal
  9. judge; justice

J -abbr

  1. joule
  2. jumper; jump shot

JA -abbr

  1. joint account
  2. judge advocate

jab ['jab] -vb

  1. to pierce with or as if with a sharp object : stab
  2. to poke quickly or abruptly : thrust
  3. to strike with a short straight blow
  4. to make quick or abrupt thrusts with a sharp object
  5. to strike a person with a short straight blow
  6. an act of jabbing
  7. a short straight boxing punch delivered with the leading hand

jab·ber ['ja-bər] -vb, n

  1. to talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly
  2. to speak rapidly or indistinctly

jabber -n

  1. gibberish, chatter

jab·ber·wocky ['ja-bər-,wä-kē] -n

  1. meaningless speech or writing

jab·i·ru [,zha-bə-'rü] -n

  1. a large tropical American stork ( Jabiru mycteria) with a massive black bill

jab·o·ran·di [,zha-bə-,ran-'dē, -'ran-dē] -n

  1. the dried leaves of either of two So. American shrubs ( Pilocarpus jaborandiand P. microphyllus) of the rue family that are a source of pilocarpine

ja·bot [zha-'bō, 'ja-,bō] -n

  1. a fall of lace or cloth attached to the front of a neckband and worn esp. by men in the 18th century
  2. a pleated frill of cloth or lace attached down the center front of a woman's blouse or dress

ja·bo·ti·ca·ba [zhə-,bü-ti-'kä-bə] -n

  1. a Brazilian tree ( Myrciaria cauliflora) of the myrtle family cultivated in warm regions for its edible usu. purplish fruit

ja·cal [hə-'käl] -n

  1. a hut in Mexico and southwestern U.S. with a thatched roof and walls made of upright poles or sticks covered and chinked with mud or clay

jac·a·mar ['zha-kə-,mär] -n

  1. any of a family (Galbulidae) of usu. iridescent green or bronze insectivorous birds of tropical American forests having a long sharp bill

ja·ca·na [jə-'kä-nə, ,zha-sə-'naⁿ] -n

  1. any of a family (Jacanidae) of long-legged and long-toed tropical wading birds that frequent coastal freshwater marshes and ponds

jac·a·ran·da [,ja-kə-'ran-də] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Jacaranda) of tropical American trees of the bignonia family with bipinnate leaves and panicles of showy usu. blue flowers

ja·cinth ['jā-sᵊn(t)th, 'ja-] -n

  1. hyacinth
  2. a gem more nearly orange in color than a hyacinth

jack ['jak] -n

  1. man usu. used as an intensive in such phrases as every man jack
  2. sailor
  3. servant, laborer
  4. lumberjack
  5. : any of various usu. mechanical devices: as
  6. a device for turning a spit
  7. a usu. portable mechanism or device for exerting pressure or lifting a heavy body a short distance
  8. : something that supports or holds in position: as
  9. an iron bar at a topgallant masthead to support a royal mast and spread the royal shrouds
  10. a wooden brace fastened behind a scenic unit in a stage set to prop it up
  11. any of several fishes
  12. any of various carangids
  13. a male donkey
  14. jackrabbit
  15. any of several birds (as a jackdaw)
  16. a small white target ball in lawn bowling
  17. a small national flag flown by a ship
  18. a game played with a set of small objects that are tossed, caught, and moved in various figures
  19. a small 6-pointed metal object used in the game of jacks
  20. a playing card carrying the figure of a soldier or servant and ranking usu. below the queen
  21. jackpot
  22. money
  23. a female fitting in an electric circuit used with a plug to make a connection with another circuit
  24. applejack
  25. brandy
  26. jackknife
  27. monterey jack
  28. to hunt or fish at night with a jacklight
  29. to hunt or fish for at night with a jacklight
  30. to move or lift by or as if by a jack
  31. to raise the level of usu. used with up
    • jack up the price
  32. to take to task

jack·al ['ja-kəl also -,kȯl] -n

  1. any of several small omnivorous canids (as Canis aureus) of Africa and Asia having large ears, long legs, and bushy tails
  2. a person who performs routine or menial tasks for another
  3. a person who serves or collaborates with another esp. in the commission of base acts

JackaLent ['jak-ə-,lent] -n

  1. a small stuffed puppet set up to be pelted for fun in Lent
  2. a simple or insignificant person

jack·a·napes ['ja-kə-,nāps] -n

  1. monkey, ape
  2. an impudent or conceited fellow
  3. a saucy or mischievous child

jack·ass ['jak-,as] -n

  1. donkey
  2. a male donkey
  3. a stupid person : fool

jack bean -n

  1. a bushy annual tropical American legume ( Canavalia ensiformis) grown esp. for forage

jack·boot ['jak-,büt] -n

  1. a heavy military boot made of glossy black leather extending above the knee and worn esp. during the 17th and 18th centuries
  2. the spirit or policy of militarism or totalitarianism
  3. a laceless military boot reaching to the calf

jack·boot·ed [-,bü-təd] -adj

  1. wearing jackboots
  2. ruthlessly and violently oppressive
    • jackbooted force

jack cheese -n

  1. monterey jack

jack crevalle -n

  1. a carangid fish ( Caranx hippos) that is an important food fish esp. along the west coast of Florida

jack·daw ['jak-,dȯ] -n

  1. a common black and gray bird ( Corvus monedula) of Eurasia and northern Africa that is related to but smaller than the carrion crow
  2. grackle

jack·et ['ja-kət] -n, adj

  1. a garment for the upper body usu. having a front opening, collar, lapels, sleeves, and pockets
  2. something worn or fastened around the body but not for use as clothing
  3. the natural covering of an animal
  4. the fur or wool of a mammal
  5. the skin of a potato
  6. : an outer covering or casing: as
  7. a thermally nonconducting cover
  8. a covering that encloses an intermediate space through which a temperature-controlling fluid circulates
  9. a tough cold-worked metal casing that forms the outer shell of a built-up bullet
  10. a wrapper or open envelope for a document
  11. an envelope for enclosing registered mail during delivery from one post office to another
  12. a detachable protective cover for a book
  13. a paper or cardboard envelope for a phonograph record

jacket -vt

  1. to put a jacket on : enclose in or with a jacket

Jack Frost -n

  1. frost or frosty weather personified

jack·fruit ['jak-,früt] -n

  1. a large tropical Asian tree ( Artocarpus heterophyllus) related to the breadfruit that yields a fine-grained yellow wood and immense fruits which contain an edible pulp and nutritious seeds
  2. its fruit

jack·ham·mer ['jak-,ha-mər] -n, vb

  1. a pneumatically operated percussive rock-drilling tool usu. held in the hands
  2. a device in which a tool (as a chisel for breaking up pavements) is driven percussively by compressed air

jackinthebox ['jak-ən-thə-,bäks] -n

  1. a toy consisting of a small box out of which a figure (as of a clown's head) springs when the lid is raised

jackinthepul·pit [,jak-ən-thə-'pu̇l-,pit, -pət also -'pəl-] -n

  1. a No. American spring-flowering woodland herb ( Arisaema triphyllumsyn. A. atrorubens) of the arum family having an upright club-shaped spadix arched over by a green and purple spathe

jack·knife ['jak-,nīf] -n

  1. a large strong pocketknife
  2. a dive executed headfirst in which the diver bends from the waist and touches the ankles while holding the knees unbent and then straightens out

jackknife -vt

  1. to cut with a jackknife
  2. to cause to double up like a jackknife
  3. to double up like a jackknife
    • jackknifed into a seat beside me, folding up his six feet eight -- Lady Bird Johnson
  4. to turn and form an angle of 90 degrees or less with each other used esp. of a tractor-trailer combination

jack·leg ['jak-,leg, -,lāg] -adj, n

  1. characterized by unscrupulousness, dishonesty, or lack of professional standards
    • a jackleg lawyer
  2. lacking skill or training : amateur
    • a jackleg carpenter
  3. designed as a temporary expedient : makeshift

jack·light [-,līt] -n

  1. a light used esp. in hunting or fishing at night

jack mackerel -n

  1. a carangid food fish ( Trachurus symmetricus) of the Pacific coast of America that is iridescent green or bluish above and silvery below

jackofalltrades [,jak-əv-,ȯl-'trādz] -n

  1. a person who can do passable work at various tasks : a handy versatile person

jack off -vb

  1. masturbate

jacko'lan·tern ['ja-kə-,lan-tərn] -n

  1. ignis fatuus
  2. a lantern made of a pumpkin cut to look like a human face
  3. a large orangish gill fungus ( Omphalotus oleariussyn. Clitocybe illudens) that is poisonous and luminescent

jack pine -n

  1. a slender pine ( Pinus banksiana) of northern No. America that has two stout needles in each fascicle and wood used esp. for pulpwood

jack plane -n

  1. a medium-sized general-purpose plane used in carpentry and joinery

jack·pot ['jak-,pät] -n

  1. a hand or game of draw poker in which a pair of jacks or better is required to open
  2. a large pot (as in poker) formed by the accumulation of stakes from previous play
  3. a combination on a slot machine that wins a top prize or all the coins available for paying out
  4. the sum so won
  5. the top prize in a game or contest (as a lottery) that is typically a large fund of money formed by the accumulation of unwon prizes
  6. an impressive often unexpected success or reward
  7. a tight spot : jam

jack·rab·bit [-,ra-bət] -n

  1. any of several large hares (genus Lepus) of western No. America having very long ears and long hind legs

Jack Russell terrier ['jak-'rə-səl-] -n

  1. any of a breed of small terriers having a white coat with brown, black, or brown-and-black markings called also Jack Russell

jack salmon -n

  1. walleye
  2. grilse

jack·screw ['jak-,skrü] -n

  1. screw jack

jack·smelt [-,smelt] -n

  1. a large silverside ( Atherinopsis californiensis) of the Pacific coast of No. America that is the chief commercial smelt of the California markets

Jack·son Day ['jak-sən-] -n

  1. January 8 celebrated as a legal holiday in Louisiana to commemorate the successful defense of New Orleans in 1815

jack stand -n

  1. a stand whose height may be adjusted and which is used to support an automobile that has been raised by a jack

jack·stay [-,stā] -n

  1. an iron rod, wooden bar, or wire rope along a yard of a ship to which the sails are fastened
  2. a support of wood, iron, or rope running up a mast on which the parrel of a yard travels

jack·straw ['jak-,strȯ] -n

  1. a game in which a set of straws or thin strips is let fall in a heap with each player in turn trying to remove one at a time without disturbing the rest
  2. one of the pieces used in the game jackstraws

jacktar [-'tär] -n

  1. sailor

jackup ['jak-,əp] -n

  1. a drilling rig used in offshore drilling whose drilling platform is a barge from which legs are lowered to the bottom when over the drill site and which is raised above the water and supported on the legs to conduct drilling operations

Ja·cob ['jā-kəb] -n

  1. a son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau, and heir of God's promise of blessing to Abraham
  2. the ancient Hebrew nation

Jac·o·be·an [,ja-kə-'bē-ən] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of James I of England or his age

jacobean lily -n

  1. a Mexican bulbous herb ( Sprekelia formosissima) of the amaryllis family cultivated for its bright red solitary flower

Ja·co·bi·an [jə-'kō-bē-ən, yä-] -n

  1. a determinant which is defined for a finite number of functions of the same number of variables and in which each row consists of the first partial derivatives of the same function with respect to each of the variables

Jac·o·bin ['ja-kə-bən] -n, adj

  1. dominican
  2. a member of an extremist or radical political group
  3. a member of such a group advocating egalitarian democracy and engaging in terrorist activities during the French Revolution of 1789

Jac·o·bite ['ja-kə-,bīt] -n

  1. a member of any of various Monophysite Eastern churches
  2. a member of the Monophysite Syrian church

Jacobite [,ja-kə-'bi-ti-kəl] -n, adj

  1. a partisan of James II of England or of the Stuarts after the revolution of 1688

Ja·cob's ladder ['jā-kəbz-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Polemonium) of herbs of the phlox family that have pinnate leaves, a bell-shaped corolla, and a several-seeded capsule
  2. a perennial herb ( P. caeruleum) with bright blue or occas. white flowers
  3. a marine ladder of rope or chain with wooden or iron rungs

Ja·cob·son's organ ['jā-kəb-sənz-] -n

  1. vomeronasal organ

Ja·co·bus [jə-'kō-bəs] -n

  1. unite

jac·o·net ['ja-kə-,net] -n

  1. a lightweight cotton cloth used for clothing and bandages

jac·quard ['ja-,kärd] -n

  1. the control mechanism of a Jacquard loom
  2. jacquard loom
  3. a fabric of intricate variegated weave or pattern

Jacquard loom -n

  1. a loom designed to weave fabrics of intricate design whose control mechanism makes use of cards with holes punched in them

jac·que·rie [,zhä-kə-'rē, ,zha-] -n

  1. a peasants' revolt

jac·ti·ta·tion [,jak-tə-'tā-shən] -n

  1. a tossing to and fro or jerking and twitching of the body

Ja·cuz·zi [jə-'kü-zē] -trademark

  1. used for a whirlpool bath and a recreational bathing tub or pool

jade ['jād] -n

  1. a broken-down, vicious, or worthless horse
  2. a disreputable woman
  3. a flirtatious girl
  4. to wear out by overwork or abuse
  5. to tire or dull through repetition or excess
  6. to make ridiculous
  7. to become weary or dulled
  8. : either of two tough compact typically green gemstones that take a high polish:
  9. jadeite
  10. nephrite
  11. a sculpture or artifact of jade
  12. jade green

jaded -adj, adv, n

  1. fatigued by overwork : exhausted
  2. made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by surfeit
    • jaded network viewers
    • jaded voters

jade green -n

  1. a light bluish green

jade·ite ['jā-,dīt] -n, adj

  1. a usu. green monoclinic mineral of the pyroxene group that is a silicate of sodium and aluminum and is a jade

jade plant -n

  1. any of several succulent plants (genus Crassula) of the orpine family cultivated as foliage plants

jae·ger ['yā-gər] -n

  1. hunter, huntsman
  2. one attending a person of rank or wealth and wearing hunter's costume
  3. any of several large dark-colored birds (genus Stercorarius) of northern seas that are related to the skua, are strong fliers, and tend to harass weaker birds until they drop or disgorge their prey

jag ['jag] -vb, n

  1. prick, stab
  2. to cut indentations into
  3. to form teeth on (a saw) by cutting indentations
  4. prick, thrust
  5. to move in jerks
  6. a sharp projecting part : barb
  7. a small load
  8. a state or feeling of exhilaration or intoxication usu. induced by liquor
  9. spree
    • a crying jag

JAG -abbr

  1. judge advocate general

jag·ged ['ja-gəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a sharply uneven edge or surface
    • jagged peaks
  2. having a harsh, rough, or irregular quality
    • jagged rhythms

jag·gery ['ja-gə-rē] -n

  1. an unrefined brown sugar made from palm sap

jag·gy ['ja-gē] -adj

  1. jagged, notched

jag·uar ['ja-,gwär, -gyə-,wär, -gwər; dial -gwī(-ə)r, esp Brit 'ja-gyə-wər] -n

  1. a large cat ( Panthera onca) chiefly of Central and So. America that is larger and stockier than the leopard and is brownish yellow or buff with black spots

jag·ua·run·di [,zha-gwə-'rən-dē, ,ja-] -n

  1. a slender long-tailed short-legged black, gray, or reddish wildcat ( Felis yagouaroundi) chiefly of Central and So. America

Jah ['jä] -n

  1. the Supreme Being of Rastafarianism

jai alai ['hī-,lī, ,hī-ə-'lī] -n

  1. a court game somewhat like handball played usu. by two or four players with a ball and a long curved wicker basket strapped to the wrist

jail ['jāl] -n

  1. a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
  2. such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes
  3. confinement in a jail
    • sentenced to jail
  4. to confine in or as if in a jail

jail·bait ['jāl-,bāt] -n

  1. a girl under the age of consent with whom sexual intercourse is unlawful and constitutes statutory rape

jail·bird [-,bərd] -n

  1. a person confined in jail
  2. a habitual criminal

jail·break [-,brāk] -n

  1. a forcible escape from jail

jail·er ['jā-lər] -n

  1. a keeper of a jail
  2. one that restricts another's liberty as if by imprisonment

jail·house ['jāl-,hau̇s] -n

  1. jail

jailhouse lawyer -n

  1. a prison inmate self-taught in the law who tries to gain release through legal maneuvers or who advises fellow inmates on their legal problems

Jain ['jīn] -n

  1. an adherent of Jainism

Jain·ism ['jī-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. a religion of India originating in the sixth century b.c.and teaching liberation of the soul by right knowledge, right faith, and right conduct

jake ['jāk] -adj

  1. all right, fine
  2. a sexually immature male wild turkey under two years old

jake leg ['jāk-,leg, -,lāg] -n

  1. a paralysis caused by drinking improperly distilled or contaminated liquor

jakes ['jāks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. privy

jal·ap ['ja-ləp, 'jä-] -n

  1. the dried tuberous root of a Mexican plant ( Ipomoea purgasyn. Exogonium purga) of the morning-glory family
  2. a powdered purgative drug prepared from it that contains resinous glycosides
  3. the root or derived drug of plants related to the one supplying jalap
  4. a plant yielding jalap

ja·la·pe·o [,hä-lə-'pā-(,)nyō, ,ha-, -'pā-(,)nō, -'pē-(,)nō] -n

  1. a small plump dark green chili pepper of Mexico and the southern U.S. called also jalapeo pepper

ja·lopy [jə-'lä-pē] -n

  1. a dilapidated old vehicle (as an automobile)

jal·ou·sie ['ja-lə-sē] -n

  1. a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain
  2. a window made of adjustable glass louvers that control ventilation

jam ['jam] -vb, n

  1. to become blocked or wedged
  2. to become unworkable through the jamming of a movable part
  3. to force one's way into a restricted space
  4. to take part in a jam session
  5. dunk
  6. to press into a close or tight position
    • jam his hat on
  7. to cause to become wedged so as to be unworkable
    • jam the typewriter keys
  8. to make unworkable by jamming
  9. to block passage of : obstruct
  10. to fill often to excess : pack
    • the crowd jammed the theater
  11. to push forcibly
  12. to apply (brakes) suddenly and forcibly used with on
  13. crush, bruise
  14. to make unintelligible by sending out interfering signals or messages
  15. to make (as a radar apparatus) ineffective by jamming signals or by causing reflection of radar waves
  16. to block, crowd, or bump (a pass receiver) near the line of scrimmage in football
  17. to pitch inside to (a batter)
  18. an act or instance of jamming
  19. a crowded mass that impedes or blocks
    • a traffic jam
  20. the quality or state of being jammed
  21. the pressure or congestion of a crowd : crush
  22. a difficult state of affairs : fix
    • got into a jam
  23. jam session
  24. dunk shot
  25. a musical piece
  26. a food made by boiling fruit and sugar to a thick consistency

Jam -abbr

  1. Jamaica

Jamaica rum -n

  1. a heavy-bodied rum made by slow fermentation and marked by a pungent bouquet

jamb ['jam] -n

  1. an upright piece or surface forming the side of an opening (as for a door, window, or fireplace)
  2. a projecting columnar part or mass

jam·ba·laya [,jəm-bə-'lī-ə] -n

  1. rice cooked usu. with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp, or oysters and seasoned with herbs
  2. a mixture of diverse elements
    • curious jambalaya s of competing elements -- Neil Hickey

jam·beau ['jam-(,)bō] -n

  1. a piece of medieval armor for the leg below the knee

jam·bo·ree [,jam-bə-'rē] -n

  1. a noisy or unrestrained carouse
  2. a large festive gathering
  3. a national or international camping assembly of Boy Scouts
  4. a long mixed program of entertainment

James ['jāmz] -n

  1. an apostle, son of Zebedee, and brother of the apostle John according to the Gospel accounts
  2. an apostle and son of Alphaeus according to the Gospel accounts called also James the Less
  3. a brother of Jesus traditionally held to be the author of the New Testament Epistle of James
  4. a moral lecture addressed to early Christians and included as a book in the New Testament

jam·mies ['ja-mēz] -n pl

  1. pajamas

jampack ['jam-'pak] -vt

  1. to pack tightly or to excess

Jams ['jamz] -trademark

  1. used for knee-length loose-fitting swim trunks

jam session -n

  1. an often impromptu performance by a group esp. of jazz musicians that is characterized by improvisation

Jam·shid [jam-'shēd] -n

  1. an early legendary king of Persia who reigned for 700 years

jamup ['jam-,əp] -n

  1. jam

Jan -abbr

  1. January

Jane Doe ['jān-'dō] -n

  1. a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld

Jane·ite ['jā-,nīt] -n

  1. an enthusiastic admirer of Jane Austen's writings

jan·gle ['jaŋ-gəl] -vb, n

  1. to talk idly
  2. to quarrel verbally
  3. to make a harsh or discordant often ringing sound
    • keys jangling in my pocket
  4. to utter or sound in a discordant, babbling, or chattering way
  5. to cause to sound harshly or inharmoniously
  6. to excite to tense irritation
    • jangled nerves

jangle -n

  1. idle talk
  2. noisy quarreling
  3. a discordant often ringing sound
    • the jangle of spurs

jan·gly ['jaŋ-g(ə-)lē] -adj

  1. marked by jangling : having a jangling quality
    • jangly earrings
    • jangly guitar music

jan·is·sary ['ja-nə-,ser-ē, -,zer-] -n

  1. a soldier of an elite corps of Turkish troops organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826
  2. a member of a group of loyal or subservient troops, officials, or supporters

jan·i·tor ['ja-nə-tər] -n, adj

  1. doorkeeper
  2. one who keeps the premises of a building (as an apartment or office) clean, tends the heating system, and makes minor repairs

Jan·sen·ism ['jan(t)-sə-,ni-zəm] -n, adj

  1. a system of doctrine based on moral determinism, defended by various reformist factions among 17th and 18th century western European Roman Catholic clergy, religious, and scholars, and condemned as heretical by papal authority
  2. a puritanical attitude (as toward sex)

Jan·u·ary ['jan-yə-,wer-ē, -,we-rē] -n

  1. the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Ja·nus ['jā-nəs] -n

  1. a Roman god that is identified with doors, gates, and all beginnings and that is depicted with two opposite faces

Janusfaced [-,fāst] -adj

  1. having two contrasting aspects
  2. duplicitous, two-faced

Janus green -n

  1. a basic azine dye used esp. as a vital biological stain (as for mitochondria)

Jap ['jap] -n or adj

  1. japanese

JAP ['jap] -n

  1. jewish american princess

ja·pan [jə-'pan] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or originating in Japan : of a kind or style characteristic of Japanese workmanship

japan -n

  1. any of several varnishes yielding a hard brilliant finish
  2. a hard dark coating containing asphalt and a drier that is used esp. on metal and fixed by heating called also japan black
  3. work (as lacquer ware) finished and decorated in the Japanese manner
  4. to cover with or as if with a coat of japan
  5. to give a high gloss to

Jap·a·nese [,ja-pə-'nēz, -'nēs] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Japan
  2. a person of Japanese descent
  3. the language of the Japanese

Japanese an·drom·e·da [-,an-'drä-mə-də] -n

  1. a shrubby evergreen heath ( Pieris japonica) of southeastern Asia with glossy leaves and drooping clusters of usu. whitish flowers

Japanese beetle -n

  1. a small metallic green and brown scarab beetle ( Popillia japonica) that has been introduced into eastern No. America from Japan and as a grub feeds on the roots of grasses and decaying vegetation and as an adult eats foliage and fruits

Japanese cedar -n

  1. a large Chinese and Japanese evergreen tree ( Cryptomeria japonica) of the cypress family grown as an ornamental and for its valuable soft wood

Japanese eggplant -n

  1. a long slender eggplant having a dark purple thin skin

Japanese iris -n

  1. any of various beardless garden irises (esp. Iris kaempferi) with very large showy flowers

Japanese lacquer -n

  1. lacquer

Japanese maple -n

  1. a maple ( Acer palmatum) of Japan, China, and Korea with purple flowers and usu. deeply parted leaves that is widely cultivated as a shrub or small tree

Japanese millet -n

  1. a coarse annual grass ( Echinochloa frumentacea) cultivated esp. in Asia for its edible seeds

Japanese plum -n

  1. a small plum tree ( Prunus salicina) native to China and cultivated esp. in Japan for its large sweet usu. yellow to light red fruit
  2. its fruit

Japanese quail -n

  1. a quail ( Coturnix japonicasyn. C. coturnix japonica) of eastern Asia that is sometimes raised for its meat or eggs and is used in laboratory research

Japanese quince -n

  1. either of two ornamental shrubs ( Chaenomeles speciosasyn. C. lagenariaof China and C. japonicaof Japan) of the rose family with usu. scarlet, pink, or white flowers

Japanese spurge -n

  1. a low Japanese pachysandra ( Pachysandra terminalis) often used as a ground cover

Jap·a·nize ['ja-pə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. to make Japanese
  2. to bring (as an area or industry) under the influence of Japan

Japan wax -n

  1. a yellowish fat obtained from the berries of several Asian sumacs (as Rhus vernicifluaand R. succedanea) and used chiefly in polishes

jape ['jāp] -vb, n

  1. to say or do something jokingly or mockingly
  2. to make mocking fun of
  3. : something designed to arouse amusement or laughter: as
  4. an amusing literary or dramatic production
    • a jape that would be okay as a sophomore class play -- John Simon
  5. gibe

Ja·pheth ['jā-fəth] -n

  1. a son of Noah held to be the progenitor of the Medes and Greeks

ja·po·nais·e·rie [zhä-pȯ-ne-zə-'rē, -nez-'rē] -n

  1. a style in art reflecting Japanese qualities or motifs
  2. an object or decoration in this style

ja·pon·i·ca [jə-'pä-ni-kə] -n

  1. japanese quince

jar ['jär] -vb, adv

  1. to make a harsh or discordant sound
  2. to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect
  3. to be out of harmony
  4. bicker
  5. to undergo severe vibration
  6. : to cause to jar: as
  7. to affect disagreeably : unsettle
  8. to make unstable or loose : shake
    • jar the ball free
  9. a state or manifestation of discord or conflict
  10. a harsh grating sound
  11. a sudden or unexpected shake
  12. an unsettling shock
  13. an unpleasant break or conflict in rhythm, flow, or transition
  14. a widemouthed container made typically of earthenware or glass
  15. as much as a jar will hold
  16. the position of being ajar usu. used in the phrase on the jar

jar·di·niere [,jär-də-'nir, ,zhär-dᵊn-'yer, -'er] -n

  1. an ornamental stand for plants or flowers
  2. a large usu. ceramic flowerpot holder
  3. a garnish for meat consisting of several cooked vegetables cut into pieces

jar·gon ['jär-gən, -,gän] -n, adj

  1. confused unintelligible language
  2. a strange, outlandish, or barbarous language or dialect
  3. a hybrid language or dialect simplified in vocabulary and grammar and used for communication between peoples of different speech
  4. the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group
  5. obscure and often pretentious language marked by circumlocutions and long words

jargon -vi

  1. twitter, warble
  2. jargonize

jar·gon·ish ['jär-gə-nish] -adj

  1. jargonistic

jar·gon·is·tic [,jär-gə-'nis-tik] -adj

  1. characterized by the use of jargon : phrased in jargon

jar·gon·ize ['jär-gə-,nīz] -vb

  1. to speak or write jargon
  2. to express in jargon
  3. to make into jargon

jar·goon [jär-'gün] -n

  1. a colorless, pale yellow, or smoky zircon

jar·head ['jär-,hed] -n

  1. marine

jarl ['yär(-ə)l] -n

  1. a Scandinavian noble ranking immediately below the king

jar·rah ['ja-rə] -n

  1. a tall eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus marginata) of western Australia with rough bark, alternate leaves, and durable hard wood
  2. its wood

Jas -abbr

  1. James

jas·mine ['jaz-mən] -n

  1. any of numerous often climbing shrubs (genus Jasminum) of the olive family that usu. have extremely fragrant flowers
  2. a tall-climbing semievergreen Asian shrub ( J. officinale) with fragrant white flowers from which oil is extracted for use in perfumes
  3. any of numerous plants having sweet-scented flowers
  4. yellow jessamine
  5. a light yellow

Ja·son ['jā-sᵊn] -n

  1. a legendary Greek hero distinguished for his successful quest of the Golden Fleece

jas·per ['jas-pər] -n, adj

  1. an opaque cryptocrystalline quartz of any of several colors
  2. green chalcedony
  3. colored stoneware with raised white decoration
  4. a blackish green

jas·per·ware ['jas-pər-,wer] -n

  1. jasper

jas·sid ['ja-səd] -n

  1. any of numerous small leafhoppers that include many economically significant pests of cultivated plants
  2. leafhopper

Jat ['jät] -n

  1. a member of an Indo-Aryan people of the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh

JATO -abbr

  1. jet-assisted takeoff

jaunce ['jȯn(t)s, 'jän(t)s] -vi

  1. prance

jaun·dice ['jȯn-dəs, 'jän-] -n

  1. yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues, and body fluids caused by the deposition of bile pigments
  2. a disease or abnormal condition characterized by jaundice
  3. a state or attitude characterized by satiety, distaste, or hostility

jaun·diced [-dəst] -adj

  1. affected with or as if with jaundice
  2. exhibiting or influenced by envy, distaste, or hostility
    • a jaundiced eye

jaunt ['jȯnt, 'jänt] -vi

  1. to trudge about
  2. to make a usu. short journey for pleasure
  3. a tiring trip
  4. an excursion undertaken esp. for pleasure

jaunting car -n

  1. a light 2-wheeled open horse-drawn vehicle used esp. in Ireland with lengthwise seats placed face-to-face or back to back

jaun·ty ['jȯn-tē, 'jän-] -adj, adv, n

  1. stylish
  2. genteel
  3. sprightly in manner or appearance : lively
    • sporting a jaunty red beret
    • a jaunty stroll

Jav -abbr

  1. Javanese

ja·va ['ja-və, 'jä-, -vē] -n

  1. coffee

Ja·va man ['jä-və-, 'ja-] -n

  1. a Pleistocene hominid known from fragmentary skeletons found in Trinil and Djetis, Java, and classified with the direct ancestor ( Homo erectus) of modern humans

Ja·va·nese [,ja-və-'nēz, ,jä-, -'nēs] -n, adj

  1. a member of an Indonesian people inhabiting the island of Java
  2. an Austronesian language of the Javanese people

jav·e·lin ['jav-lən, 'ja-və-] -n

  1. a light spear thrown as a weapon of war or in hunting
  2. a slender usu. metal shaft at least 260 centimeters long that is thrown for distance in a field event

ja·ve·li·na [,hä-və-'lē-nə] -n

  1. peccary

Ja·velle water [zha-'vel, zhə-] -n

  1. an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite used as a disinfectant or a bleaching agent

jaw ['jȯ] -n

  1. either of two complex cartilaginous or bony structures in most vertebrates that border the mouth, support the soft parts enclosing it, usu. bear teeth on their oral margin, and are an upper that is more or less firmly fused with the skull and a lower that is hinged, movable, and articulated with the temporal bone of either side
  2. the parts constituting the walls of the mouth and serving to open and close it usu. used in pl.
  3. any of various organs of invertebrates that perform the function of the vertebrate jaws
  4. : something resembling the jaw of an animal: as
  5. one of the sides of a narrow pass or channel
  6. either of two or more opposable parts that open and close for holding or crushing something between them
  7. a space lying between or as if between open jaws
    • escaped from out of the jaw s of the whale
  8. a position or situation in which one is threatened
    • rode into the jaw s of danger
  9. a friendly chat
  10. to talk esp. abusively, indignantly, or long-windedly
    • jaw ing with the referee
  11. to talk to in a scolding or boring manner

jaw·bone ['jȯ-,bōn] -n

  1. jaw
  2. mandible

jawbone -vt

  1. to speak forcefully and persuasively to
    • jawboned them into accepting the deal
  2. to talk esp. forcefully and persuasively
    • jawboning about the tax cuts

jaw·bon·ing [-,bō-niŋ] -n

  1. the use of public appeals (as by a president) to influence the actions esp. of business and labor leaders
  2. the use of spoken persuasion

jaw·break·er [-,brā-kər] -n

  1. a word difficult to pronounce
  2. a round hard candy

jawdrop·ping ['jȯ-,drä-piŋ] -adj, n, adv

  1. causing great surprise or astonishment

jawed ['jȯd] -adj

  1. having jaws
    • jawed fishes
    usu. used in combination
    • square- jawed
    • a three- jawed chuck

jaw·less fish ['jȯ-ləs-] -n

  1. any of the taxonomic group (Agnatha) of primitive vertebrates without jaws including cyclostomes and extinct related forms

jaw·line ['jȯ-,līn] -n

  1. the outline of the lower jaw

jay ['jā] -n

  1. a predominantly fawn-colored Old World bird ( Garrulus glandarius) of the crow family with a black-and-white crest and wings marked with black, white, and blue
  2. any of various usu. crested and largely blue chiefly New World birds that are related to the common Old World jay and have roving habits and harsh voices
  3. an impertinent chatterer
  4. dandy
  5. greenhorn
  6. a moderate blue
  7. the letter j
  8. joint

jay·bird ['jā-,bərd] -n

  1. jay
  2. jay

Jay·cee [,jā-'sē] -n

  1. a member of a major national and international civic organization

jay·gee ['jā-'jē] -n

  1. lieutenant junior grade

jay·hawk·er ['jā-,hȯ-kər] -n

  1. a member of a band of antislavery guerrillas in Kansas and Missouri before and during the American Civil War
  2. bandit
  3. a native or resident of Kansas used as a nickname

jay·vee [,jā-'vē] -n

  1. junior varsity
  2. a member of a junior varsity team

jay·walk ['jā-,wȯk] -vi, n

  1. to cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic

jazz ['jaz] -n, adj

  1. American music developed esp. from ragtime and blues and characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre
  2. popular dance music influenced by jazz and played in a loud rhythmic manner
  3. empty talk : humbug
    • spouted all the scientific jazz -- Pete Martin
  4. similar but unspecified things : stuff
    • that wind, and the waves, and all that jazz -- John Updike
  5. to play in the manner of jazz
  6. enliven usu. used with up
  7. accelerate
  8. to go here and there : gad
  9. to dance to or play jazz

jazz·man ['jaz-,man, -mən] -n

  1. a jazz musician

jazzrock [-'räk] -n

  1. a blend of jazz and rock music

jazzy ['ja-zē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having the characteristics of jazz
  2. marked by unrestraint, animation, or flashiness