jo ['jō] -n
- sweetheart, dear
Jo -abbr
- Joel
job ['jäb] -n
- a piece of work
- a small miscellaneous piece of work undertaken on order at a stated rate
- the object or material on which work is being done
- something produced by or as if by work
- an example of a usu. specified type : item
- the limousine was a long white job
- something done for private advantage
- the whole incident was a put-up job
- a criminal enterprise
- robbery
- a damaging or destructive bit of work
- something that has to be done : task
- an undertaking requiring unusual exertion
- it was a real job to talk over that noise
- a specific duty, role, or function
- a regular remunerative position
- state of affairs usu. used with bad or good
- it was a good job you didn't hit the old man -- E. L. Thomas
- plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes
- to do odd or occasional pieces of work for hire
- to carry on public business for private gain
- to carry on the business of a middleman or wholesaler
- to buy and sell (as stock) for profit : speculate
- to hire or let by the job or for a period of service
- to get, deal with, or effect by jobbery
- to do or cause to be done by separate portions or lots : subcontract often used with out
- to penalize or deprive unfairly
- that is for hire for a given service or period
- used in, engaged in, or done as job work
- of or relating to a job or to employment
- a guarantee of job security
Job ['jōb] -n
- the hero of the book of Job who endures afflictions with fortitude and faith
- a narrative and poetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
job action -n
- a temporary action (as a slowdown) by workers as a protest and means of forcing compliance with demands
job·ber ['jä-bər] -n
- : one that jobs: as
- wholesaler
- a wholesaler who operates on a small scale or who sells only to retailers and institutions
- stockjobber
- a person who works by the job
job·bery ['jä-b(ə-)rē] -n
- the act or practice of jobbing
- corruption in public office
jobbing -adj
- working occasionally at separate short jobs
job·hold·er ['jäb-,hōl-dər] -n
- a person having a regular job
jobhop·ping [-,hä-piŋ] -n
- the practice of moving from job to job
job·less ['jäb-ləs] -adj, n
- having no job
- of or relating to those having no job
job lot -n
- a miscellaneous collection of goods for sale as a lot usu. to a retailer
- a miscellaneous and usu. inferior collection or group
Job's comforter ['jōbz-] -n
- a person who discourages or depresses while seemingly giving comfort and consolation
Job's tears -n pl
- hard usu. pearly white seeds of a tropical southeast Asian grass ( Coix lacryma-jobi) often used as beads
- the grass producing Job's tears
Jo·cas·ta [jō-'kas-tə] -n
- a queen of Thebes who marries Oedipus not knowing that he is her son
jock ['jäk] -n
- jockey
- disc jockey
- athletic supporter
- athlete
- a school or college athlete
- pilot
- a fighter pilot
- a person devoted to a single pursuit or interest
jock·ey ['jä-kē] -n
- a person who rides or drives a horse esp. as a professional in a race
- a person who operates or works with a specified vehicle, device, object, or material
jockey -vb
- to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with
- to ride or drive (a horse) as a jockey
- drive, operate
- to maneuver or manipulate by adroit or devious means
- was jockey ed out of the job
- to change the position of by a series of movements
- jockey a truck into position
- to act as a jockey
- to maneuver for advantage often used in the phrase jockey for position
jockey club -n
- an association for the promotion and regulation of horse racing
jock itch -n
- tinea cruris
jock·strap ['jäk-,strap] -n
- athletic supporter
jo·cose [jō-'kōs, jə-] -adj, adv, n
- given to joking : merry
- characterized by joking : humorous
joc·u·lar ['jä-kyə-lər] -adj, n, adv
- given to jesting : habitually jolly or jocund
- characterized by jesting : playful
jo·cund ['jä-kənd also 'jō-(,)kənd] -adj, n, adv
- marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness
- a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company -- William Wordsworth
jodh·pur ['jäd-(,)pər] -n
- riding breeches cut full through the hips and close-fitting from knee to ankle
- an ankle-high boot fastened with a strap that is buckled at the side called also jodhpur boot
joe ['jō] -n
- fellow, guy
- coffee
Joe Blow -n
- an average or ordinary man
Jo·el ['jō(-ə)l] -n
- the traditionally assumed author of the book of Joel
- a narrative and apocalyptic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
joepye weed ['jō-'pī-] -n
- any of several tall No. American perennial composite herbs (esp. Eupatorium maculatumand E. purpureum) with whorled leaves and corymbose heads of typically purplish tubular flowers
Joe SixPack -n
- an ordinary man
- a blue-collar worker
jo·ey ['jō-ē] -n
- a baby animal
- a baby kangaroo
jog ['jäg, 'jȯg] -vb, n
- to give a slight shake or push to : nudge
- to rouse to alertness
- to cause (as a horse) to go at a jog
- to align the edges of (piled sheets of paper) by hitting or shaking against a flat surface
- to move up and down or about with a short heavy motion
- his...holster jogging against his hip -- Thomas Williams
- to run or ride at a slow trot
- to go at a slow, leisurely, or monotonous pace : trudge
- a slight shake : nudge
- a movement, pace, or instance of jogging (as for exercise)
- a horse's slow measured trot
- a projecting or retreating part (as of a line or surface)
- the space in the angle of a jog
- a brief abrupt change in direction
- to make a jog
- the road jog s to the right
jog·gle ['jä-gəl] -vb, n
- to shake slightly
- to move shakily or jerkily
joggle -n
- jog
- a notch or tooth in a joining surface (as of a piece of building material) to prevent slipping
- a dowel for joining two adjacent blocks of masonry
- to join by means of a joggle so as to prevent sliding apart
jog trot -n
- jog
- a routine habit or course of action
Jo·han·nine [jō-'ha-,nīn, -nən] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the apostle John or the New Testament books ascribed to him
Jo·han·nis·berg Riesling [yō-'hä-nəs-,berg-] -n
- a Riesling produced in the U.S. (as in California)
john ['jän] -n
- toilet
- a prostitute's client
John ['jän] -n
- a Jewish prophet who according to Gospel accounts foretold Jesus' messianic ministry and baptized him called also John the Baptist
- an apostle who according to various Christian traditions wrote the fourth Gospel, the three Johannine Epistles, and the Book of Revelation
- the fourth Gospel in the New Testament
- any of three short didactic letters addressed to early Christians and included in the New Testament
John Barleycorn -n
- alcoholic liquor personified
john·boat ['jän-,bōt] -n
- a narrow flat-bottomed square-ended boat usu. propelled by a pole or paddle and used on inland waterways
John Bull [-'bu̇l] -n, adj
- the English nation personified : the English people
- a typical Englishman
John Doe [-'dō] -n
- a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown
- an average man
John Do·ry [-'dȯr-ē] -n
- a widely distributed marine food fish ( Zeus faberof the family Zeidae) that is yellow to olive in color with a dark spot on each side and has an oval compressed body and long dorsal spines
Joh·ne's disease ['yō-nəz-] -n
- a chronic often fatal contagious enteritis of ruminants and esp. of cattle that is caused by a bacterium ( Mycobacterium paratuberculosis) and is characterized by persistent diarrhea and gradual emaciation
John Han·cock ['jän-'han-,käk] -n
- an autograph signature
John Hen·ry [-'hen-rē] -n
- an autograph signature
John Mark -n
- mark
john·ny ['jä-nē] -n
- fellow, guy
- a short-sleeved collarless gown that is open in the back and is worn by persons (as hospital patients) undergoing medical examination or treatment
john·ny·cake ['jä-nē-,kāk] -n
- a bread made with cornmeal
John·nycomelate·ly ['jä-nē-(,)kəm-'lāt-lē] -n
- a late or recent arrival : newcomer
- upstart
- established families tend to hold themselves above the Johnny-come-latelies -- William Zeckendorf 1976
John·nyjumpup [,jä-nē-'jəmp-,əp] -n
- a common cultivated European viola ( Viola tricolor) which has short-spurred flowers usu. blue or purple mixed with white and yellow and from which most of the garden pansies are derived
- any of various small-flowered cultivated pansies
- any of various American violets
John·nyonthespot ['jä-nē-,ȯn-thə-'spät, -,än-] -n
- a person who is on hand and ready to perform a service or respond to an emergency
Johnny Reb [-'reb] -n
- a Confederate soldier
john·son ['jän(t)-sən] -n
- penis
John·son·ese [,jän(t)-sə-'nēz, -'nēs] -n
- a literary style characterized by balanced phraseology and Latinate diction
john·son·grass ['jän(t)-sən-,gras] -n
- a tall perennial sorghum ( Sorghum halepense) orig. of the Mediterranean region that is widely used for forage in warm areas and often becomes naturalized as a weed
joie de vi·vre [,zhwä-də-'vēvrᵊ] -n
- keen or buoyant enjoyment of life
join ['jȯin] -vb, adj
- to put or bring together so as to form a unit
- join two blocks of wood with glue
- to connect (as points) by a line
- adjoin
- to put or bring into close association or relationship
- to engage in (battle)
- to come into the company of
- to associate oneself with
- to come together so as to be connected
- nouns join to form compounds
- adjoin
- : to come into close association or relationship: as
- to form an alliance
- to become a member of a group
- to take part in a collective activity
- joint
- union
join·der ['jȯin-dər] -n
- conjunction
- a joining of parties as plaintiffs or defendants in a suit
- a joining of causes of action or defense
- acceptance of an issue tendered
join·er ['jȯi-nər] -n
- : one that joins: as
- a person whose occupation is to construct articles by joining pieces of wood
- a gregarious or civic-minded person who joins many organizations
join·ery ['jȯi-nə-rē, 'jȯin-rē] -n
- the art or trade of a joiner
- work done by a joiner
join·ing ['jȯi-niŋ] -n
- the act or an instance of joining one thing to another : juncture
- the place or manner of being joined together
- something that joins two things together
joint ['jȯint] -n, adj, adv
- the point of contact between elements of an animal skeleton with the parts that surround and support it
- node
- a part or space included between two articulations, knots, or nodes
- a large piece of meat for roasting
- a place where two things or parts are joined
- a space between the adjacent surfaces of two bodies joined and held together (as by cement or mortar)
- a fracture or crack in rock not accompanied by dislocation
- the flexing part of a cover along either spine edge of a book
- the junction of two or more members of a framed structure
- a union formed by two abutting rails in a track including the elements (as bars and bolts) necessary to hold the abutting rails together
- an area at which two ends, surfaces, or edges are attached
- a shabby or disreputable place of entertainment
- place, establishment
- prison
- a marijuana cigarette
- united, combined
- the joint influences of culture and climate
- : common to two or more: as
- involving the united activity of two or more
- constituting an activity, operation, or organization in which elements of more than one armed service participate
- constituting an action or expression of two or more governments
- shared by or affecting two or more
- united, joined, or sharing with another (as in a right or status)
- being a function of or involving two or more variables and esp. random variables
- to separate the joints of (as meat)
- to unite by a joint : fit together
- to provide with a joint : articulate
- to prepare (as a board) for joining by planing the edge
- to fit as if by joints
- to form joints as a stage in growth used esp. of small grains
Joint Chiefs of Staff
- a military advisory group composed of the chiefs of staff of the army and air force, the chief of naval operations, and sometimes the commandant of the marine corps
joint compound -n
- a compound made of gypsum, clay, and latex resin that is used to seal wall joints or fill shallow holes
joint·er ['jȯin-tər] -n
- one that joints
- any of various tools used in preparing wood (as for a joint)
joint resolution -n
- a resolution passed by both houses of a legislative body that has the force of law when signed by or passed over the veto of the executive
join·tress ['jȯin-trəs] -n
- a woman having a legal jointure
jointstock company -n
- a company or association consisting of individuals organized to conduct a business for gain and having a joint stock of capital represented by shares owned individually by the members and transferable without the consent of the group
join·ture ['jȯin-chər] -n
- an act of joining : the state of being joined
- joint
- an estate settled on a wife to be taken by her in lieu of dower
- a settlement on the wife of a freehold estate for her lifetime
joint·worm ['jȯint-,wərm] -n
- the larva of any of several small chalcid wasps (genus Harmolita) that attacks the stems of grain and causes swellings like galls at or just above the first joint
joist ['jȯist] -n
- any of the small timbers or metal beams ranged parallel from wall to wall in a structure to support a floor or ceiling
jo·jo·ba [hə-'hō-bə] -n
- a shrub or small tree ( Simmondsia chinensissyn. S. californica) of the box family of southwestern No. America with edible seeds that yield a valuable liquid wax used esp. in cosmetics
joke ['jōk] -n
- something said or done to provoke laughter
- a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist
- the humorous or ridiculous element in something
- an instance of jesting : kidding
- practical joke
- laughingstock
- something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter
- consider his skiing a joke -- Harold Callender
often used in negative constructions - it is no joke to be lost in the desert
- to make jokes : jest
- to make the object of a joke : kid
jok·er ['jō-kər] -n
- a person given to joking : wag
- fellow, guy
- an insignificant, obnoxious, or incompetent person
- a shame to let a joker like this win -- Harold Robbins
- a playing card added to a pack as a wild card or as the highest-ranking card
- an ambiguous or apparently immaterial clause inserted in a legislative bill to make it inoperative or uncertain in some respect
- an unsuspected, misleading, or misunderstood clause, phrase, or word in a document that nullifies or greatly alters it
- something (as an expedient or stratagem) held in reserve to gain an end or escape from a predicament
- an unsuspected or not readily apparent fact, factor, or condition that thwarts or nullifies a seeming advantage
joke·ster ['jōk-stər] -n
- joker 1
jok·ey ['jō-kē] -adj, adv, n
- given to joking
- humorous, comical
- amusingly ridiculous : laughable
jol·li·fi·ca·tion [,jä-li-fə-'kā-shən] -n
- festivity, merrymaking
jol·li·ty ['jä-lə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being jolly : merriment
- a festive gathering
jol·ly ['jä-lē] -adj
- full of high spirits : joyous
- given to conviviality : jovial
- expressing, suggesting, or inspiring gaiety : cheerful
- extremely pleasant or agreeable : splendid
jolly -adv
- very
- would...do as they were jolly well told -- John Stockbridge
- to engage in good-natured banter
- to put or try to put in good humor esp. to gain an end
- a good time : jollification
- kicks
- get their jollies by reenacting famous murders -- H. F. Waters
jol·ly boat ['jä-lē-] -n
- a ship's boat of medium size used for general-purpose work
Jol·ly Rog·er ['jä-lē-'rä-jər] -n
- a black flag with a white skull and crossbones formerly used by pirates as their ensign
jolt ['jōlt] -vb, n
- to cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
- to give a knock or blow to
- to jar with a quick or hard blow
- to disturb the composure of : shock
- crudely jolt ed out of that mood -- Virginia Woolf
- to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly
- determination to pursue his own course was jolt ed badly -- F. L. Paxson
- to move with a sudden jerky motion
- an abrupt sharp jerky blow or movement
- a sudden feeling of shock, surprise, or disappointment
- an event or development causing such a feeling
- the defeat was quite a jolt
- a serious check or reverse
- a small potent or bracing portion
joltwag·on ['jōlt-,wa-gən] -n
- a farm wagon
jo·mon ['jō-,män] -adj
- of, relating to, or typical of a Japanese cultural period from about the fifth or fourth millennium b.c.to about 200 b.c.and characterized by elaborately ornamented hand-formed unglazed pottery
Jon -abbr
- Jonah; Jonas
Jo·nah ['jō-nə, 3 is also -nər] -n
- an Israelite prophet who according to the account in the book of Jonah resisted a divine call to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh, was swallowed and vomited by a great fish, and eventually carried out his mission
- a narrative book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
- one believed to bring bad luck
Jo·nas ['jō-nəs] -n
- jonah
Jon·a·than ['jä-nə-thən] -n
- a son of Saul and friend of David according to the account in I Samuel
- american
- a New Englander
- a medium-sized red-skinned apple
jones ['jōnz] -n
- habit, addiction
- addiction to heroin
- heroin
- an avid desire or appetite for something : craving
- to have a strong desire or craving for something
- he was jones ing for a drink
jon·gleur [zhōⁿ-'glər] -n
- an itinerant medieval entertainer proficient in juggling, acrobatics, music, and recitation
jon·quil ['jän-kwəl, 'jäŋ-] -n
- a Mediterranean perennial bulbous herb ( Narcissus jonquilla) of the amaryllis family with long linear leaves that is widely cultivated for its yellow or white fragrant short-tubed clustered flowers
Jor·dan almond ['jȯr-dᵊn-] -n
- a large Spanish almond esp. when salted or coated with sugar of various colors
Jor·dan curve [zhȯr-'däⁿ-, 'jȯr-dᵊn-] -n
- simple closed curve
Jordan curve theorem -n
- a fundamental theorem of topology: every simple closed curve divides the plane into two regions for which it is the common boundary
jo·rum ['jȯr-əm] -n
- a large drinking vessel or its contents
jo·seph ['jō-zəf also -səf] -n
- a son of Jacob who according to the account in Genesis rose to high political office in Egypt after being sold into slavery by his brothers
- the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus according to the Gospel accounts
- a long cloak worn esp. by women in the 18th century
Jo·seph·ite ['jō-zə-,fīt, -sə-] -n
- a member of St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart founded in 1871 in Baltimore, Md. and devoted to missionary work among black Americans
Joseph of Ar·i·ma·thea [-,a-rə-mə-'thē-ə]
- a rich councillor of the Sanhedrin who according to the Gospel accounts placed the body of Jesus in his own tomb and according to medieval legend took the Holy Grail to England
Jo·seph·son junction ['jō-zəf-sən- also -səf-sən-] -n
- an electronic fast-switching device that consists of two layers of superconducting metal separated by a thin layer of insulator through which low current flows but increased current causes the insulator to block the flow
josh ['jäsh] -vb, n
- to engage in banter : joke
- to tease good-naturedly : kid
- a good-humored joke : jest
Josh -abbr
- Joshua
Josh·ua ['jä-sh(ə-)wə] -n
- the divinely commissioned successor of Moses and military leader of the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan according to the account in the book of Joshua
- a mainly narrative book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
Joshua tree -n
- a tall branched arborescent yucca ( Yucca brevifolia) of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. that has clustered greenish-white flowers
joss ['jäs, 'jȯs] -n
- a Chinese idol or cult image
joss house -n
- a Chinese temple or shrine
joss stick -n
- a slender stick of incense burned in front of a joss
jos·tle ['jä-səl] -vb
- to come in contact or into collision
- to make one's way by pushing and shoving
- to exist in close proximity
- to vie in gaining an objective : contend
- jostled to get a glimpse of the celebrity
- to come in contact or into collision with
- to force by pushing : elbow
- to stir up : agitate
- to exist in close proximity with
- to vie with in attaining an objective
jostle -n
- a jostling encounter or experience
- the state of being crowded or jostled together
Jos·ue ['jä-shü-(,)ē] -n
- joshua
jot ['jät] -n
- the least bit : iota
- to write briefly or hurriedly : set down in the form of a note
jotting -n
- a brief note : memorandum
Jo·tun ['yō-tᵊn, -,tu̇n] -n
- a member of a race of giants in Norse mythology
Jo·tun·heim [-,hīm, -,hām] -n
- the home of the Jotuns in Norse mythology
jou·al [zhü-'al, -'äl] -n
- spoken Canadian French
- the local forms of the spoken French of Quebec that differ the most from prescribed forms
joule ['jül also ÷'jau̇(-ə)l] -n
- a unit of work or energy equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through a distance of one meter
jounce ['jau̇n(t)s] -vb
- to move in an up-and-down manner : bounce
- to cause to jounce
- jolt
jouncy ['jau̇n(t)-sē] -adj
- marked by a jouncing motion or effect
jour -abbr
- journal
- journeyman
jour·nal ['jər-nᵊl] -n
- a record of current transactions
- a book of original entry in double-entry bookkeeping
- an account of day-to-day events
- a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use
- a record of transactions kept by a deliberative or legislative body
- log
- log
- a daily newspaper
- a periodical dealing esp. with matters of current interest
- the part of a rotating shaft, axle, roll, or spindle that turns in a bearing
journal box -n
- a metal housing used to support and protect a journal bearing
jour·nal·ese [,jər-nə-'lēz, -'lēs] -n
- a style of writing held to be characteristic of newspapers
jour·nal·ism ['jər-nə-,li-zəm] -n
- the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media
- the public press
- an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium
- writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine
- writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation
- writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest
jour·nal·ist [-nə-list] -n
- a person engaged in journalism
- a writer or editor for a news medium
- a writer who aims at a mass audience
- a person who keeps a journal
jour·nal·is·tic [,jər-nə-'lis-tik] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or characteristic of journalism or journalists
jour·nal·ize ['jər-nə-,līz] -vb, n
- to record in a journal
- to keep a journal in accounting
- to keep a personal journal
jour·ney ['jər-nē] -n
- an act or instance of traveling from one place to another : trip
- a day's travel
- something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another
- the journey from youth to maturity
journey -vb, n
- to go on a journey : travel
- to travel over or through
jour·ney·man [-mən] -n
- a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person usu. by the day
- an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer esp. as distinguished from one who is brilliant or colorful
- a good journeyman trumpeter -- New Yorker
jour·ney·work [-,wərk] -n
- work done by a journeyman
- hackwork
joust ['jau̇st sometimes 'jəst or 'jüst] -vi, n
- to fight on horseback as a knight or man-at-arms
- to engage in combat with lances on horseback
- to engage in combat or competition as if in a joust
- a combat on horseback between two knights with lances esp. as part of a tournament
- tournament
- a personal combat or competition : struggle
Jove ['jōv] -n
- jupiter often used interjectionally to express surprise or agreement esp. in the phrase by Jove
jo·vial ['jō-vē-əl, -vyəl] -adj, n, adv
- of or relating to Jove
- markedly good-humored esp. as evidenced by jollity and conviviality
Jo·vi·an ['jō-vē-ən] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the god or planet Jupiter
jow ['jau̇] -n
- stroke, toll
jo·war [jə-'wär] -n
- durra
jowl ['jau̇(-ə)l sometimes 'jōl] -n
- a cut of fish consisting of the head and usu. adjacent parts
- usu. slack flesh (as a dewlap, wattle, or the pendulous part of a double chin) associated with the cheeks, lower jaw, or throat
- jaw
- mandible
- one of the lateral halves of the mandible
- cheek
- the cheek meat of a hog
jowly ['jau̇-lē sometimes 'jō-] -adj
- having marked jowls : having full or saggy flesh about the lower cheeks and jaw area
- elderly man with a disillusioned jowly face -- John Dos Passos
joy ['jȯi] -n, adj, adv
- the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight
- the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
- a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
- a source or cause of delight
- to experience great pleasure or delight : rejoice
- gladden
- enjoy
joy·ance ['jȯi-ən(t)s] -n
- delight, enjoyment
joy·ful ['jȯi-fəl] -adj, adv, n
- experiencing, causing, or showing joy : happy
joy·ous ['jȯi-əs] -adj, adv, n
- joyful
joy·pop ['jȯi-,päp] -vi, n
- to use habit-forming drugs occasionally or irregularly without becoming addicted
joy·ride ['jȯi-,rīd] -n, vi
- a ride taken for pleasure (as in a car or aircraft)
- an automobile ride marked by reckless driving (as in a stolen car)
- conduct or action resembling a joyride esp. in disregard of cost or consequences
joy·stick [-,stik] -n
- a lever in an airplane that operates the elevators by a fore-and-aft motion and the ailerons by a side-to-side motion
- a control for any of various devices (as a computer) that resembles an airplane's joystick esp. in being capable of motion in two or more directions