ju·ba ['jü-bə] -n

  1. a dance of Southern plantation blacks accompanied by complexly rhythmic hand clapping and slapping of the knees and thighs

Ju·bal ['jü-bəl] -n

  1. a descendant of Cain who according to the account in Genesis is the father of those who play the harp and organ

ju·bi·lance ['jü-bə-lən(t)s] -n

  1. jubilation

ju·bi·lant ['jü-bə-lənt] -adj, adv

  1. exultant

ju·bi·lar·i·an [,jü-bə-'ler-ē-ən] -n

  1. one celebrating a jubilee

ju·bi·late ['jü-bə-,lāt] -vi

  1. rejoice
    • too dispassionate to jubilate -- Cynthia Ozick

Ju·bi·la·te [,yü-bə-'lä-,tā, ,jü-] -n

  1. the 100th Psalm in the Authorized Version
  2. a joyous song or outburst
  3. the third Sunday after Easter

ju·bi·la·tion [,jü-bə-'lā-shən] -n

  1. an act of rejoicing : the state of being jubilant
  2. an expression of great joy

ju·bi·lee ['jü-bə-(,)lē, ,jü-bə-'lē] -n

  1. a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50 years by the emancipation of Hebrew slaves, restoration of alienated lands to their former owners, and omission of all cultivation of the land
  2. a special anniversary
  3. a 50th anniversary
  4. a celebration of such an anniversary
  5. a period of time proclaimed by the Roman Catholic pope ordinarily every 25 years as a time of special solemnity
  6. a special plenary indulgence granted during a year of jubilee to Roman Catholics who perform certain specified works of repentance and piety
  7. jubilation
  8. a season of celebration
  9. a religious song of black Americans usu. referring to a time of future happiness

jubilee -adj

  1. flambe
    • cherries jubilee

ju·co ['jü-,kō] -n

  1. junior college
  2. an athlete at a junior college

Jud -abbr

  1. Judith

Ju·dah ['jü-də] -n

  1. a son of Jacob and the traditional eponymous ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel

Ju·da·ic [jü-'dā-ik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Jews or Judaism

Ju·da·ica [-'dā-ə-kə] -n pl

  1. literary or historical materials relating to Jews or Judaism

Ju·da·ism ['jü-dē-,i-zəm, 'jü-də-, 'jü-(,)dā-, Brit also 'jü-,di-zəm] -n

  1. a religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions
  2. conformity to Jewish rites, ceremonies, and practices
  3. the cultural, social, and religious beliefs and practices of the Jews
  4. the whole body of Jews : the Jewish people

Ju·da·ist ['jü-dē-ist, 'jü-də-, jü-'dā-] -n, adj

  1. one that believes in or practices Judaism

Ju·da·ize ['jü-dē-,īz, 'jü-də-, 'jü-(,)dā-] -vb, n

  1. to adopt the customs, beliefs, or character of a Jew
  2. to make Jewish

Ju·das ['jü-dəs] -n

  1. the apostle who in the Gospel accounts betrayed Jesus
  2. a son of James and one of the twelve apostles
  3. traitor
  4. one who betrays under the guise of friendship
  5. peephole called also judas hole judas window

Judas Is·car·i·ot [-is-'ka-rē-ət] -n

  1. judas

Judas tree -n

  1. any of a genus ( Cercis) of leguminous trees and shrubs (as a redbud) often cultivated for their showy flowers
  2. a Eurasian tree or shrub ( C. siliquastrum) with purplish pink flowers

jud·der ['jə-dər] -vi

  1. to vibrate with intensity
    • the engine stalled and kept judder ing -- Roy Spicer

judder -n

  1. the action or sound of juddering

Jude ['jüd] -n

  1. the author of the New Testament Epistle of Jude
  2. a short hortatory epistle addressed to early Christians and included as a book in the New Testament

Ju·deoChris·tian [jü-,dā-ō-'kris-chən, -'krish- also ,jü-dē-ō- or jü-,dē-ō-] -adj

  1. having historical roots in both Judaism and Christianity

Ju·deoSpan·ish [-'spa-nish] -n

  1. the Romance language of Sephardic Jews esp. in the Balkans and Asia Minor

Judg -abbr

  1. Judges

judge ['jəj] -vb, n

  1. to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and testing of premises
  2. to sit in judgment on : try
  3. to determine or pronounce after inquiry and deliberation
  4. govern, rule used of a Hebrew tribal leader
  5. to form an estimate or evaluation of
  6. to form a negative opinion about
    • shouldn't judge him because of his accent
  7. to hold as an opinion : guess, think
    • I judge she knew what she was doing
  8. to form an opinion
  9. to decide as a judge
  10. : one who judges: as
  11. a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court
  12. a tribal hero exercising leadership among the Hebrews after the death of Joshua
  13. one appointed to decide in a contest or competition : umpire
  14. one who gives an authoritative opinion
  15. critic

judge advocate -n

  1. an officer assigned to the judge advocate general's corps or department
  2. a staff officer serving as legal adviser to a military commander

judge advocate general -n

  1. the senior legal officer and chief legal adviser in the army, air force, or navy

Judg·es ['jə-jəz] -n

  1. a narrative and historical book of Jewish and Christian Scripture

judg·mat·ic [,jəj-'ma-tik] -adj, adv

  1. judicious

judg·ment ['jəj-mənt] -n

  1. a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion
  2. an opinion so pronounced
  3. a formal decision given by a court
  4. an obligation (as a debt) created by the decree of a court
  5. a certificate evidencing such a decree
  6. the final judging of humankind by God
  7. a divine sentence or decision
  8. a calamity held to be sent by God
  9. the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing
  10. an opinion or estimate so formed
  11. the capacity for judging : discernment
  12. the exercise of this capacity
  13. a proposition stating something believed or asserted

judg·men·tal [,jəj-'men-tᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or involving judgment
  2. characterized by a tendency to judge harshly
    • judgmental prigs

judgment call -n

  1. a subjective decision, ruling, or opinion

judgment day -n

  1. the day of God's judgment of humankind at the end of the world according to various theologies
  2. a day of final judgment

ju·di·ca·to·ry ['jü-di-kə-,tȯr-ē] -n

  1. judiciary
  2. judicature

ju·di·ca·ture ['jü-di-kə-,chu̇r, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n

  1. the action of judging : the administration of justice
  2. a court of justice
  3. judiciary

ju·di·cial [jü-'di-shəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a judgment, the function of judging, the administration of justice, or the judiciary
    • judicial processes
  2. belonging to the branch of government that is charged with trying all cases that involve the government and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction
  3. ordered or enforced by a court
    • a judicial sale
  4. of, characterized by, or expressing judgment : critical
  5. arising from a judgment of God
  6. belonging or appropriate to a judge or the judiciary

judicial review -n

  1. review
  2. a constitutional doctrine that gives to a court system the power to annul legislative or executive acts which the judges declare to be unconstitutional

ju·di·cia·ry [jü-'di-shē-,er-ē, -'di-shə-rē] -n, adj

  1. a system of courts of law
  2. the judges of these courts
  3. a branch of government in which judicial power is vested

ju·di·cious [jü-'di-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment : discreet

Ju·dith ['jü-dəth] -n

  1. the Jewish heroine who saves the city of Bethulia in the book of Judith
  2. a book of Scripture included in the Roman Catholic canon of the Old Testament and in the Protestant Apocrypha

ju·do ['jü-(,)dō] -n

  1. a sport developed from jujitsu that emphasizes the use of quick movement and leverage to throw an opponent

ju·do·ka ['jü-dō-,kä, ,jü-dō-'kä] -n

  1. one who participates in judo

jug ['jəg] -n

  1. a small pitcher
  2. a large deep usu. earthenware or glass container with a narrow mouth and a handle
  3. the contents of such a container : jugful
  4. jail, prison
  5. to stew (as a hare) in an earthenware vessel
  6. jail, imprison

jug band -n

  1. a band that uses primitive or improvised instruments (as jugs, washboards, and kazoos) to play blues, jazz, and folk music

jugeared ['jəg-,ird] -adj

  1. having protuberant ears

jug·ful ['jəg-,fu̇l] -n

  1. as much as a jug will hold
  2. a great deal used in the phrase not by a jugful

jug·ger·naut ['jə-gər-,nȯt, -,nät] -n

  1. a large heavy truck
  2. a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path
    • an advertising juggernaut
    • a political juggernaut

jug·gle ['jə-gəl] -vb

  1. to perform the tricks of a juggler
  2. to engage in manipulation esp. in order to achieve a desired end
  3. to practice deceit or trickery on : beguile
  4. to manipulate or rearrange esp. in order to achieve a desired end
    • juggle an account to hide a loss
  5. to toss in the manner of a juggler
  6. to hold or balance precariously
  7. to handle or deal with usu. several things (as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements
    • juggle the responsibilities of family life and full-time job -- Jane S. Gould

juggle -n

  1. : an act or instance of juggling:
  2. a trick of magic
  3. a show of manual dexterity
  4. an act of manipulation esp. to achieve a desired end

jug·gler ['jə-g(ə-)lər] -n

  1. one who performs tricks or acts of magic or deftness
  2. one skilled in keeping several objects in motion in the air at the same time by alternately tossing and catching them
  3. one who manipulates esp. in order to achieve a desired end

jug·glery ['jə-glə-rē] -n

  1. the art or practice of a juggler
  2. manipulation or trickery esp. to achieve a desired end

jug·u·lar ['jə-gyə-lər also 'jü- also -g(ə-)lər] -adj

  1. of or relating to the throat or neck
  2. of or relating to the jugular vein

jugular -n

  1. jugular vein
  2. the most vital or vulnerable part of something
    • showed an instinct for the jugular in competition

jugular vein -n

  1. any of several veins of each side of the neck that return blood from the head

jug wine -n

  1. table wine sold in large bottles

juice ['jüs] -n, adj

  1. the extractable fluid contents of cells or tissues
  2. the natural fluids of an animal body
  3. the liquid or moisture contained in something
  4. the inherent quality of a thing : essence
  5. strength, vigor, vitality
    • pioneers...full of juice and jests -- Sinclair Lewis
  6. a medium (as electricity or gasoline) that supplies power
  7. liquor
  8. exorbitant interest exacted of a borrower under the threat of violence
  9. influence, clout
  10. a motivating, inspiring, or enabling force or factor
    • creative juice s
  11. to add juice to
  12. to extract the juice of

juiced ['jüst] -adj

  1. containing juice usu. used in combination
    • precious- juiced flowers -- Shak.
  2. drunk
  3. full of energy and motivation : excited

juice·head ['jüs-,hed] -n

  1. alcoholic

juic·er ['jü-sər] -n

  1. an appliance for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables
  2. a heavy or habitual drinker

juice up -vt

  1. to give life, energy, or spirit to

juicy ['jü-sē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having much juice : succulent
  2. rewarding or profitable esp. financially : fat
    • juicy contract
    • a juicy dramatic role
  3. rich in interest : colorful
    • juicy details
  4. sensational, racy
    • a juicy scandal
  5. full of vitality : lusty

ju·jit·su [jü-'jit-(,)sü] -n

  1. an art of weaponless fighting employing holds, throws, and paralyzing blows to subdue or disable an opponent

ju·ju ['jü-(,)jü] -n

  1. a fetish, charm, or amulet of West African peoples
  2. the magic attributed to or associated with jujus

juju -n

  1. a style of West African music that is characterized by a rapid beat, the use of percussion instruments, and vocal harmonies

ju·jube ['jü-,jüb, esp for 2 'jü-ju̇-,bē] -n

  1. an edible drupaceous fruit of any of several trees (genus Ziziphus) of the buckthorn family
  2. one of an Asian tree ( Z. jujuba)
  3. a tree producing this fruit
  4. a fruit-flavored gumdrop or lozenge

juke ['jük] -vb

  1. to fake out of position (as in football)
  2. to juke someone

juke·box ['jük-,bäks] -n

  1. a coin-operated phonograph or compact-disc player that automatically plays recordings selected from its list

jukebox musical -n

  1. a musical that features popular songs from the past

juke joint -n

  1. a small inexpensive establishment for eating, drinking, or dancing to the music of a jukebox or a live band

Jul -abbr

  1. July

ju·lep ['jü-ləp] -n

  1. a drink consisting of sweet syrup, flavoring, and water
  2. a drink consisting of a liquor (as bourbon or brandy) and sugar poured over crushed ice and garnished with mint

Ju·lian calendar ['jül-yən-] -n

  1. a calendar introduced in Rome in 46 b.c.establishing the 12-month year of 365 days with each fourth year having 366 days and the months each having 31 or 30 days except for February which has 28 or in leap years 29 days

ju·li·enne [,jü-lē-'en, ,zhü-] -n, adj

  1. a consomme containing julienned vegetables
  2. food (as meat or vegetables) that has been julienned
  3. a preparation or garnish of julienned food
    • a julienne of leeks

julienne -vt

  1. to slice into thin strips about the size of matchsticks
    • wash and julienne the carrots

Ju·liet ['jül-yət; ,jü-lē-'et, 'jü-lē-,] -n

  1. the heroine of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Julietwho dies for love of Romeo

Ju·li·ett [,jü-lē-'et]

  1. a communications code word for the letter j

Ju·ly [ju̇-'lī, jə-] -n

  1. the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar

Ju·ma·da [ju̇-'mä-də] -n

  1. : either of two months of the Islamic year:
  2. jumada al-awwal
  3. jumada al-thani

Ju·ma·da alAw·wal [ju̇-'mä-də-äl-ə-'wäl] -n

  1. the fifth month of the Islamic year

Ju·ma·da alTha·ni [-äl-tä-'nē] -n

  1. the sixth month of the Islamic year

jum·ble ['jəm-bəl] -vb

  1. to move in a confused or disordered manner
  2. to mix into a confused or disordered mass often used with up

jumble -n

  1. a mass of things mingled together without order or plan : hodgepodge
  2. a state of confusion
  3. articles for a rummage sale
  4. a small thin usu. ring-shaped sugared cookie or cake

jumble sale -n

  1. rummage sale

jum·bo ['jəm-(,)bō] -n, adj

  1. a very large specimen of its kind

jump ['jəmp] -vb

  1. to spring into the air : leap
  2. to spring free from the ground or other base by the muscular action of feet and legs
  3. to move suddenly or involuntarily : start
  4. to move over a position occupied by an opponent's piece in a board game often thereby capturing the piece
  5. to undergo a vertical or lateral displacement owing to improper alignment of the film on a projector mechanism
  6. to start out or forward : begin usu. used with off
    • jump off to a big lead
  7. to move energetically : hustle
  8. to go from one sequence of instructions in a computer program to another
    • jump to a subroutine
  9. coincide, agree
  10. to move haphazardly or irregularly : shift abruptly
    • jump ed from job to job
  11. to change or abandon employment esp. in violation of contract
  12. to rise suddenly in rank or status
  13. to undergo a sudden sharp change in value
    • prices jump ed
  14. to make a jump in bridge
  15. to make a hurried judgment
    • jump to conclusions
  16. to show eagerness
    • jump ed at the chance
  17. to enter eagerly
    • jump on the bandwagon
  18. to make a sudden physical or verbal attack
    • jump ed on him for his criticism
  19. to bustle with activity
    • the bar was jump ing with young people
  20. to leap over
    • jump a hurdle
  21. to move over (a piece) in a board game
  22. to act, move, or begin before (as a signal)
    • jump the green light
  23. to leap aboard
    • jump a freight
  24. risk, hazard
  25. to escape from : avoid
  26. to leave hastily or in violation of contract
    • jump town without paying their bills -- Hamilton Basso
  27. to depart from (a normal course)
    • jump the track
  28. to make a sudden physical or verbal attack on
  29. to occupy illegally
    • jump a mining claim
  30. to cause to leap
  31. to cause (game) to break cover : start, flush
  32. to elevate in rank or status
  33. to raise (a bridge partner's bid) by more than one rank
  34. to increase suddenly and sharply
  35. exactly, pat
  36. an act of jumping : leap
  37. any of several sports competitions featuring a leap, spring, or bound
  38. a leap in figure skating in which the skater leaves the ice with both feet and turns in the air
  39. a space cleared or covered by a leap
  40. an obstacle to be jumped over or from
  41. a sudden involuntary movement : start
  42. a move made in a board game by jumping
  43. a transfer from one sequence of instructions in a computer program to a different sequence
    • conditional jump
  44. venture
  45. a sharp sudden increase
  46. a bid in bridge of more tricks than are necessary to overcall the preceding bid
  47. an abrupt change or transition
  48. a quick short journey
  49. one in a series of moves from one place to another
  50. the portion of a published item (as a newspaper article or story) that comprises the continuation of an item that begins on a preceding page
  51. an advantage at the start
    • desirous of getting the jump on the competition -- Elmer Davis
  52. jazz music with a fast tempo

jump ball -n

  1. a method of putting a basketball into play by tossing it into the air between two opponents who jump up and attempt to tap the ball to a teammate
  2. a ball put into play in this manner

jump boot -n

  1. a boot worn esp. by paratroopers

jump cut ['jəmp-,kət] -n, vb

  1. a sudden often jarring cut from one shot or scene to another without intervening devices (as fade-outs)
  2. an abrupt transition (as in a narrative)

jump·er ['jəm-pər] -n

  1. a person who jumps
  2. any of various devices operating with a jumping motion
  3. any of several sleds
  4. a connection used to close a break or cut out part of a circuit
  5. any of several jumping animals
  6. a saddle horse trained to jump obstacles
  7. jump shot

jum·per ['jəm-pər] -n

  1. a loose blouse or jacket worn by workmen
  2. a sleeveless one-piece dress worn usu. with a blouse
  3. a child's coverall usu. used in pl.
  4. sweater

jumper cables -n pl

  1. a pair of electrical cables with alligator clips used to make a connection for jump-starting a vehicle

jumper's knee -n

  1. a painful condition of the knee caused by inflammation or small tears in the tendon of the patella that occurs esp. in sports requiring strenuous jumping

jump hook -n

  1. a hook shot in which the player jumps before releasing the ball

jumping bean -n

  1. a seed of any of several Mexican shrubs (genera Sebastianiaand Sapium) of the spurge family that tumbles about because of the movements of the larva of a small tortricid moth ( Cydia saltitanssyn. Laspeyresia saltitans) inside it

jumping jack -n

  1. a toy figure of a man jointed and made to jump or dance by means of strings or a sliding stick
  2. a conditioning exercise performed from a standing position by jumping to a position with legs spread and arms raised and then to the original position

jumping mouse -n

  1. any of several small hibernating No. American rodents (family Zapodidae) with long hind legs and tail and no cheek pouches

jumpingoff place [,jəm-piŋ-'ȯf-] -n

  1. a remote or isolated place
  2. a place or point from which an enterprise, investigation, or discussion is launched called also jumping-off point

jumping plant louse -n

  1. any of numerous plant lice (family Psyllidae) with the femurs thickened and adapted for leaping

jumping spider -n

  1. any of a family (Salticidae) of small spiders that stalk and leap upon their prey

jump jet -n

  1. a military jet aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capability

jump·mas·ter ['jəmp-,mas-tər] -n

  1. a person who supervises parachutists

jumpoff ['jəmp-,ȯf] -n

  1. the start of a race or an attack
  2. a jumping competition to break a tie at the end of regular competition (as in a horse show)

jump pass -n

  1. a pass made by a player (as in football or basketball) while jumping

jump rope -n

  1. a rope used for exercises and children's games that involve jumping over the usu. twirling rope each time it reaches its lowest point
  2. a game played with a jump rope

jump seat -n

  1. a movable carriage seat
  2. a folding seat between the front and rear seats of a passenger automobile

jump shooter -n

  1. a basketball player who makes jump shots

jump shot -n

  1. a shot in basketball made by jumping into the air and releasing the ball with one or both hands at the peak of the jump

jumpstart ['jəmp-'stärt] -vt, n

  1. to start (an engine or vehicle) by temporary connection to an external power source (as another vehicle's battery)
  2. to start or restart rapidly or forcefully
    • advertising can jumpstart a political campaign
  3. to impart fresh or renewed energy to : energize
    • a plan to jumpstart the stagnant economy

jump·suit ['jəmp-,süt] -n

  1. a coverall worn by parachutists for jumping
  2. a one-piece garment consisting of a blouse or shirt with attached trousers or shorts

jumpy ['jəm-pē] -adj, n

  1. characterized by jumps or sudden variations
  2. nervous, jittery

jun ['jən] -n

  1. the chon of North Korea
  2. junior

Jun -abbr

  1. June

junc -abbr

  1. junction

jun·co ['jəŋ-(,)kō] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Juncoof the family Emberizidae) of small widely distributed No. American finches usu. having a pink bill, ashy gray head and back, and conspicuous white lateral tail feathers

junc·tion ['jəŋ(k)-shən] -n, adj

  1. an act of joining : the state of being joined
  2. a place or point of meeting
  3. an intersection of roads esp. where one terminates
  4. a point (as in a thermocouple) at which dissimilar metals make contact
  5. an interface in a semiconductor device between regions with different electrical characteristics
  6. something that joins

junc·tur·al ['jəŋ(k)-chə-rəl, 'jəŋ(k)-shrəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to phonetic juncture

junc·ture ['jəŋ(k)-chər] -n

  1. joint, connection
  2. the manner of transition or mode of relationship between two consecutive sounds in speech
  3. an instance of joining : junction
  4. a point of time
  5. one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances

June ['jün] -n

  1. the sixth month of the Gregorian calendar

June·ber·ry ['jün-,ber-ē] -n

  1. serviceberry

june bug -n

  1. any of numerous rather large leaf-eating scarab beetles (subfamily Melolonthinae) that fly chiefly in late spring and have larvae that are white grubs which live in soil and feed chiefly on the roots of grasses and other plants called also june beetle

June·teenth [,jün-'tēn(t)th] -n

  1. June 19 celebrated esp. in Texas to commemorate the belated announcement there of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865

Jung·ian ['yu̇ŋ-ē-ən] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of C. G. Jung or his psychological doctrines

jun·gle ['jəŋ-gəl] -n, adj

  1. an impenetrable thicket or tangled mass of tropical vegetation
  2. a tract overgrown with thickets or masses of vegetation
  3. a hobo camp
  4. a confused or disordered mass of objects : jumble
  5. something that baffles or frustrates by its tangled or complex character : maze
    • the jungle of housing laws -- Bernard Taper
  6. a place of ruthless struggle for survival
    • the city is a jungle where no one is safe after dark -- Stuart Chase
  7. electronic dance music that combines elements of techno, reggae, and hip-hop and is marked esp. by an extremely fast beat

jungle cat -n

  1. a small grayish to tawny cat ( Felis chaus) found from northern Africa to Asia and having a black-tipped tail and tufted ears
  2. a wild cat (as a leopard) of tropical regions

jun·gled [-gəld] -adj

  1. abounding in jungle
    • a jungled island

jungle fowl -n

  1. any of several Asian wild birds (genus Gallus) related to the pheasants
  2. a bird ( G. gallus) of southeastern Asia from which domestic chickens have prob. descended

jungle gym -n

  1. a structure of vertical and horizontal bars for use by children at play

ju·nior ['jün-yər] -adj

  1. less advanced in age : younger used chiefly to distinguish a son with the same given name as his father
  2. youthful
  3. designed for young people and esp. adolescents
  4. of more recent date and therefore inferior or subordinate
    • a junior lien
  5. lower in standing or rank
    • junior partners
  6. duplicating or suggesting on a smaller scale something typically large or powerful
    • a junior gale
  7. of or relating to juniors or the class of juniors at an educational institution
    • the junior prom

junior -n

  1. a person who is younger than another
    • a man six years my junior
  2. a male child : son
  3. a young person
  4. a clothing size for women and girls with slight figures
  5. a person holding a lower position in a hierarchy of ranks
  6. a student in the next-to-the-last year before graduating from an educational institution
  7. a member of a program of the Girl Scouts for girls in the third through sixth grades in school

ju·nior·ate ['jün-yə-,rāt, -rət] -n

  1. a course of high school or college study for candidates for the priesthood, brotherhood, or sisterhood
  2. one preparatory to the course in philosophy
  3. a seminary for juniorate training

junior college -n

  1. an educational institution that offers two years of studies corresponding to those in the first two years of a four-year college and that often offers technical, vocational, and liberal studies to the adults of a community

junior high school -n

  1. a school usu. including grades seven to nine called also junior high

Junior Leaguer -n

  1. a member of a league of young women organized for volunteer service to civic and social organizations

junior miss -n

  1. an adolescent girl
  2. junior

junior varsity -n

  1. a team composed of members lacking the experience or qualification required for the varsity

ju·ni·per ['jü-nə-pər] -n

  1. any of numerous shrubs or trees (genus Juniperus) of the cypress family with leaves resembling needles or scales and female cones usu. resembling berries
  2. the berrylike cone or fruit of a juniper
  3. the bluish one of a common juniper ( J. communis) which is used to flavor foods and from which is obtained an acrid essential oil used esp. as a flavoring in gin and liqueurs called also juniper berry
  4. any of several coniferous trees resembling true junipers

juniper tar -n

  1. a tarry liquid used topically in treating skin diseases and obtained by distillation from the wood of a Eurasian juniper ( Juniperus oxycedrus) called also cade oil juniper tar oil

junk ['jəŋk] -n, adj

  1. pieces of old cable or cordage used esp. to make gaskets, mats, swabs, or oakum
  2. old iron, glass, paper, or other waste that may be used again in some form
  3. secondhand, worn, or discarded articles
  4. clutter
  5. something of poor quality : trash
  6. something of little meaning, worth, or significance
  7. narcotics
  8. heroin
  9. junk bond
  10. baseball pitches that break or are off-speed (as curveballs or changeups)
  11. to get rid of as worthless : scrap
  12. any of various ships of Chinese waters with bluff lines, a high poop and overhanging stem, little or no keel, high pole masts, and a deep rudder

junk art -n

  1. three-dimensional art made from discarded material (as metal, mortar, glass, or wood)

junk bond -n

  1. a high-risk bond that offers a high yield

junk DNA -n

  1. a region of DNA that usu. consists of a repeating DNA sequence, does not code for protein, and has no known function

junk email -n

  1. spam

junk·er ['jəŋ-kər] -n

  1. something (as an automobile) of such age and condition as to be ready for scrapping

Jun·ker ['yu̇ŋ-kər] -n

  1. a member of the Prussian landed aristocracy

jun·ket ['jəŋ-kət] -n

  1. a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet
  2. a festive social affair
  3. : trip, journey: as
  4. a trip made by an official at public expense
  5. a promotional trip made at another's expense
    • a film's press junket

junket [,jəŋ-kə-'tir] -vi, n

  1. feast, banquet
  2. to go on a junket

junk food -n

  1. food that is high in calories but low in nutritional content
  2. something that is appealing or enjoyable but of little or no real value
    • the ultimate in junk food for young minds -- Cleveland Amory

junk·ie ['jəŋ-kē] -n

  1. a narcotics peddler or addict
  2. a person who derives inordinate pleasure from or who is dependent on something
    • sugar junkie
    • television news junkie
  3. a junk dealer

junk mail -n

  1. third-class mail (as advertising circulars)

junk sculpture -n

  1. junk art

junk·yard ['jəŋk-,yärd] -n

  1. a yard used to store sometimes resalable junk

Ju·no ['jü-(,)nō] -n

  1. the wife of Jupiter, queen of heaven, and goddess of light, birth, women, and marriage

Ju·no·esque [,jü-(,)nō-'esk] -adj

  1. marked by stately beauty

jun·ta ['hu̇n-tə, 'jən-, 'hən-] -n

  1. a council or committee for political or governmental purposes
  2. a group of persons controlling a government esp. after a revolutionary seizure of power
  3. junto

jun·to ['jən-(,)tō] -n

  1. a group of persons joined for a common purpose

Ju·pi·ter ['jü-pə-tər] -n

  1. the chief Roman god, husband of Juno, and god of light, of the sky and weather, and of the state and its welfare and its laws
  2. the largest of the planets and fifth in order from the sun

ju·ral ['ju̇r-əl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to law
  2. of or relating to rights or obligations

Ju·ras·sic [ju̇-'ra-sik] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being the period of the Mesozoic era between the Triassic and the Cretaceous or the corresponding system of rocks marked by the presence of dinosaurs and the first appearance of birds

ju·rat ['ju̇r-,at] -n

  1. a certificate added to an affidavit stating when, before whom, and where it was made

ju·rel [hü-'rel] -n

  1. any of several carangid fishes (as a jack crevalle) of warm seas

ju·rid·i·cal [ju̇-'ri-di-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the administration of justice or the office of a judge
  2. of or relating to law or jurisprudence : legal

ju·ris·con·sult [,ju̇r-əs-'kän-,səlt, -kən-'] -n

  1. jurist
  2. one learned in international and public law

ju·ris·dic·tion [,ju̇r-əs-'dik-shən] -n, adj, adv

  1. the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law
  2. the authority of a sovereign power to govern or legislate
  3. the power or right to exercise authority : control
  4. the limits or territory within which authority may be exercised

Ju·ris Doctor ['ju̇r-əs-] -n

  1. a degree conferred by a law school usu. after three years of full-time study

ju·ris·pru·dence [,ju̇r-əs-'prü-dᵊn(t)s] -n, adj, adv

  1. the science or philosophy of law
  2. a system or body of law
  3. the course of court decisions
  4. a department of law
    • medical jurisprudence

ju·ris·pru·dent [-'prü-dᵊnt] -n

  1. jurist

ju·rist ['ju̇r-ist] -n

  1. one having a thorough knowledge of law
  2. judge

ju·ris·tic [ju̇-'ris-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a jurist or jurisprudence
    • juristic thought
  2. of, relating to, or recognized in law
    • juristic theory

ju·ror ['ju̇r-ər, 'ju̇r-,ȯr] -n

  1. a member of a jury
  2. a person summoned to serve on a jury
  3. a person who takes an oath (as of allegiance)

ju·ry ['ju̇r-ē] -n

  1. a body of persons sworn to give a verdict on some matter submitted to them
  2. a body of persons legally selected and sworn to inquire into any matter of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence
  3. a committee for judging and awarding prizes at a contest or exhibition
  4. one (as the public or test results) that will decide used esp. in the phrase the jury is still out

jury -adj

  1. improvised for temporary use esp. in an emergency : makeshift
    • a jury mast
    • a jury rig
  2. to select material as appropriate for exhibition in (as an art show) used chiefly as a participle
    • a juried show

jury nullification -n

  1. the acquitting of a defendant by a jury in disregard of the judge's instructions and contrary to the jury's findings of fact

ju·ryrig ['ju̇r-ē-,rig, -'rig] -vt

  1. to erect, construct, or arrange in a makeshift fashion

jus gen·ti·um ['yüs-'gen-tē-əm] -n

  1. international law

jus san·gui·nis [-'säŋ-gwə-nəs] -n

  1. a rule that a child's citizenship is determined by its parents' citizenship

jus·sive ['jə-siv] -n, adj

  1. a word, form, case, or mood expressing command

jus so·li ['yüs-'sō-,lē] -n

  1. a rule that the citizenship of a child is determined by the place of its birth

just ['jau̇st sometimes 'jəst or 'jüst] -vi, n

(variant of joust)

  1. to fight on horseback as a knight or man-at-arms
  2. to engage in combat with lances on horseback
  3. to engage in combat or competition as if in a joust
    • joust ing debaters
    • joust ing bighorn rams
  4. a combat on horseback between two knights with lances esp. as part of a tournament
  5. tournament
  6. a personal combat or competition : struggle

justfolks ['jəs(t)-'fōks] -adj

  1. marked by the absence of formality or sophistication : unpretentious
    • her justfolks manner

jus·tice ['jəs-təs] -n

  1. the maintenance or administration of what is just esp. by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments
  2. judge
  3. the administration of law
  4. the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity
  5. the quality of being just, impartial, or fair
  6. the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action
  7. conformity to this principle or ideal : righteousness
  8. the quality of conforming to law
  9. conformity to truth, fact, or reason : correctness

justice of the peace

  1. a local magistrate empowered chiefly to administer summary justice in minor cases, to commit for trial, and to administer oaths and perform marriages

jus·ti·cia·ble [,jə-'sti-sh(ē-)ə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. liable to trial in a court of justice
    • a justiciable offense
  2. capable of being decided by legal principles or by a court of justice

jus·ti·ci·ar [,jə-'sti-shē-ər, -,är] -n

  1. the chief political and judicial officer of the Norman and later kings of England until the 13th century

jus·ti·fi·able ['jəs-tə-,fī-ə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. capable of being justified : excusable
    • justifiable family pride -- Current Biog.

jus·ti·fi·ca·tion [,jəs-tə-fə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the act, process, or state of being justified by God
  2. the act or an instance of justifying : vindication
  3. something that justifies
  4. the process or result of justifying lines of text

jus·ti·fi·ca·tive ['jəs-tə-fə-,kā-tiv] -adj

  1. justificatory

jus·ti·fi·ca·to·ry [,jəs-'ti-fi-kə-,tȯr-ē, 'jəs-tə-fə-,kā-tə-rē] -adj

  1. tending or serving to justify : vindicatory

jus·ti·fy ['jəs-tə-,fī] -vb, n

  1. to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable
  2. to show to have had a sufficient legal reason
  3. to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property
  4. to administer justice to
  5. absolve
  6. to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation
  7. to space (as lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin
  8. to make even by justifying
    • justified margins
  9. to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done
  10. to qualify as bail or surety
  11. to justify lines of text

justintime -n

  1. a manufacturing strategy wherein parts are produced or delivered only as needed

jut ['jət] -vb

  1. to extend out, up, or forward : project
    • mountains jutting into the sky
    • a jutting jaw
  2. to cause to project
  3. something that juts : projection

jute ['jüt] -n

  1. the glossy fiber of either of two Asian plants ( Corchorus olitoriusand C. capsularis) of the linden family used chiefly for sacking, burlap, and twine
  2. a plant producing jute

Jute ['jüt] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Germanic people invading England from the Continent and settling in Kent in the fifth century

jut·ty ['jə-tē] -n

  1. jetty
  2. a projecting part of a building

jutty -vt

  1. to project beyond

juv -abbr

  1. juvenile

ju·ve·nes·cence [,jü-və-'ne-sᵊn(t)s] -n, adj

  1. the state of being youthful or of growing young

ju·ve·nile ['jü-və-,nī(-ə)l, -nᵊl] -adj

  1. physiologically immature or undeveloped : young
  2. derived from sources within the earth and coming to the surface for the first time used esp. of water and gas
  3. of, relating to, characteristic of, or suitable for children or young people
    • juvenile books
  4. reflecting psychological or intellectual immaturity : childish

juvenile -n

  1. a young person : youth
  2. a book for children or young people
  3. : a young individual resembling an adult of its kind except in size and reproductive activity: as
  4. a fledged bird not yet in adult plumage
  5. a 2-year-old racehorse
  6. an actor or actress who plays youthful parts

juvenile court -n

  1. a court that has special jurisdiction over delinquent and dependent children usu. up to the age of 18

juvenile delinquency -n

  1. conduct by a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action
  2. a violation of the law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or life imprisonment

juvenile diabetes -n

  1. type 1 diabetes

juvenile hormone -n

  1. an insect hormone that is secreted by the corpora allata, inhibits maturation to the imago, and plays a role in reproduction

juvenile officer -n

  1. a police officer charged with the detection, prosecution, and care of juvenile delinquents

juvenileonset diabetes -n

  1. type 1 diabetes

ju·ve·nil·ia [,jü-və-'ni-lē-ə] -n pl

  1. compositions produced in the artist's or author's youth
  2. artistic or literary compositions suited to or designed for the young

ju·ve·nil·i·ty [,jü-və-'ni-lə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being juvenile : youthfulness
  2. immaturity of thought or conduct
  3. an instance of being juvenile

jux·ta·pose ['jək-stə-,pōz] -vt

  1. to place side by side
    • juxtapose unexpected combinations of colors, shapes and ideas -- J. F. T. Bugental

juxtaposed -adj

  1. placed side by side : being in juxtaposition

jux·ta·po·si·tion [,jək-stə-pə-'zi-shən] -n, adj

  1. the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side
  2. the state of being so placed