📖 J — The English dictionary

jab — Everyday, meaning 1: To jab is to push something pointed quickly and hard into or at something, like a finger or stick.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A jab is a quick, hard poke or punch.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A jab is an injection, like a vaccine.↗ e.g. "the flu jab".↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (informal) A jab is a short unkind remark.↗ e.g. "a jab at her spelling".↗ Example: He jabbed me with his elbow.↗ · We had our flu jabs at school.↗ · The nurse said the jab would only sting a little.↗ · She jabbed the button on the lift.↗ · The boxer threw a quick jab.↗ · Don't jab your pencil at people.↗ · His joke was a jab at my messy hair.↗ · All 28 children had the jab, in two groups of 14.↗

jabbing — Everyday, meaning 1: Poking or pushing something sharp or pointed quickly and hard: «He kept jabbing me with his pencil.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (boxing) Throwing quick, short straight punches.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun, UK informal) A jab is an injection or vaccination: «the flu jab».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (figurative) Making sharp, unkind remarks at someone.↗ Example: Stop jabbing me with your elbow!↗ · He was jabbing at the buttons on the remote.↗ · The boxer kept jabbing with his left hand.↗ · I had my flu jab at school.↗ · She was jabbing her finger at the map.↗ · The Rat was jabbing the river bank with a stick.↗

jacinth — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A reddish-orange precious stone.↗ Example: and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; (Torah EXO.28.19, JPS 1917)↗ · And the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.↗ (Torah EXO.39.12, JPS 1917)↗

jack — Everyday, meaning 1: A tool for lifting a heavy thing, like a car, a little way off the ground.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (cards) A playing card with a picture of a young man, between the ten and the queen; also called the knave.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (electric) A socket where you plug in a lead, like a headphone jack.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (games) jacks — a children's game of picking up small metal pieces while bouncing a ball; in bowls, the small white ball.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (ship) A small flag on a ship, as in the Union Jack, the UK flag.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (a name) Jack, a boy's name, often a nickname for John; in fairy tales Jack is a brave clever boy.↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (verb, informal) jack up = lift with a jack or raise prices; (UK slang) jack in = give up; (slang) jack = steal («he jacked my bike»).↗ Everyday, meaning 8: (male animal) A male donkey or hare is a jack.↗ Example: Dad used a jack to lift the car and change the tyre.↗ · The Jack of Hearts stole the tarts.↗ · Plug your headphones into the jack.↗ · Jack climbed the beanstalk.↗ · We played jacks on the playground.↗ · The Union Jack is the flag of the United Kingdom.↗ · He was fed up and jacked in his job (UK slang).↗ · The shop jacked up the price of sweets.↗ · A jack-in-the-box popped up and made the baby laugh.↗ · My uncle is a jack of all trades.↗ · Jack uttered a cry of surprise.↗

jackal — Everyday, meaning 1: A jackal is a wild animal like a small, thin dog that lives in Africa and Asia and eats small animals and leftovers from other hunters.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A jackal can mean a sneaky person who takes advantage of others' work or misfortune.↗ Example: A jackal crept towards the leftover meat.↗ · Jackals howl at night on the savanna.↗ · Anubis, the Egyptian god, had a jackal's head.↗ · The jackal is a cousin of the dog and the wolf.↗ · In the fable, the clever jackal tricks the lion.↗ · Jackals live in pairs and raise their pups together.↗ · We heard jackals calling in the dark.↗ · I am become a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.↗ (Writings JOB.30.29, JPS 1917)↗ · And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.↗ (Prophets JER.51.37, JPS 1917)↗ · Though Thou hast crushed us into a place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.↗ (Writings PSA.44.20, JPS 1917)↗

jackdaw — Everyday, meaning 1: A small black and grey bird of the crow family that likes shiny things.↗ Example: A jackdaw sat on the church roof.↗ · The jackdaw stole the shiny spoon.↗ · The vain jackdaw wore borrowed feathers.↗

jacket — Everyday, meaning 1: A jacket is a short coat with sleeves that you wear over other clothes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A jacket is also a cover for something: a book jacket, a jacket potato (a potato baked with its skin).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A life jacket is a vest that keeps you floating in water.↗ Example: Put on your jacket; it's chilly outside.↗ · My jacket has a hood for when it rains.↗ · Always wear a life jacket on a boat.↗ · We had jacket potatoes with cheese for lunch.↗ · He hung his jacket on the hook.↗ · Cyclists wear bright jackets so drivers can see them.↗ · The jacket of this book has a dragon on it.↗ · I left my jacket at school.↗ · It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.↗

jackpot — Everyday, meaning 1: A jackpot is the biggest prize in a game, lottery or competition, often a large amount of money.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) To hit the jackpot is to have great luck or success, or find exactly what you wanted.↗ Example: She won the lottery jackpot and gave money to charity.↗ · The jackpot this week is a million pounds.↗ · We hit the jackpot at the car boot sale: a whole box of comics for a pound.↗ · The fruit machine paid out the jackpot.↗ · The chance of winning the jackpot is tiny.↗ · When the jackpot isn't won, it rolls over to the next game.↗

jackrabbit — Everyday, meaning 1: A jackrabbit is a large hare of western North America with very long ears and strong back legs.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal, US) To jackrabbit is to start or move suddenly and fast, like a car shooting off from traffic lights.↗ Example: A jackrabbit leapt out from behind the cactus.↗ · Jackrabbits have long ears that help them stay cool.↗ · The black-tailed jackrabbit lives in the deserts of the USA and Mexico.↗ · A jackrabbit can run faster than most dogs.↗ · The car made a jackrabbit start when the lights turned green.↗ · Coyotes and eagles hunt jackrabbits.↗

jacks — Everyday, meaning 1: Jacks is a children's game where you toss a small ball and pick up small metal or plastic pieces called jacks before catching it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Jacks are playing cards with a picture of a young man, worth between 10 and the queen.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A jack is a tool that lifts a car off the ground.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (informal, Australia) «Jacks» means police; «be jack of» means be tired of.↗ Example: We played jacks at break time.↗ · She picked up three jacks before the ball bounced.↗ · He had two jacks in his hand of cards.↗ · Dad used a jack to lift the car.↗ · There are four jacks in a pack of cards.↗ · Never crawl under a car held only by a jack.↗

jacob — Everyday, meaning 1: A boy's or man's first name.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In the Bible, Jacob is the son of Isaac and the father of twelve sons, including Joseph.↗ Example: Jacob is the tallest boy in our class.↗ · Jacob's mum picks him up after school.↗ · In the Bible, Jacob had twelve sons.↗ · Jacob and Esau were twin brothers.↗ · We call him Jake for short, but his name is Jacob.↗ · Jacob sheep have black and white spots and four horns.↗ · And Laban came up with Jacob.↗ (Torah GEN.31.25, JPS 1917)↗ · These are the generations of Jacob.↗ (Torah GEN.37.2, JPS 1917)↗ · Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: (Torah GEN.35.22, JPS 1917)↗ · Do I change, O house of Jacob?↗ (Prophets MIC.2.7, JPS 1917)↗ · For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation.↗ (Writings PSA.79.7, JPS 1917)↗ · What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria?↗ (Prophets MIC.1.5, JPS 1917)↗

jade — Everyday, meaning 1: Jade is a hard green stone used to make jewellery and carvings.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Jade is also a green colour.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (old) A jade was a worn-out horse; jaded means tired and bored.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Jade is a girl's name.↗ Example: Grandma wears a jade bracelet.↗ · The museum has old Chinese jade carvings.↗ · She painted her room jade green.↗ · Jade is a very hard stone.↗ · My friend Jade sits next to me.↗ · The jade statue shone in the light.↗ · So the Devil gave him that sorry jade.↗

jagged — Everyday, meaning 1: With rough, sharp, uneven points or edges: jagged rocks.↗ Example: Be careful, the broken glass has jagged edges.↗ · Jagged rocks stuck out of the sea.↗ · A jagged line of lightning lit the sky.↗ · The mountains had jagged peaks.↗ · The tin was opened and left a jagged lid.↗ · The graph showed a jagged line going up and down.↗ · “If,” said one irritable guard, “if we buzzed a spear at the persistent stranger, or if one slung at him with a jagged pebble!”↗

jaguar — Everyday, meaning 1: A jaguar is a big, powerful wild cat of Central and South America, with golden fur covered in rosettes that have spots inside them.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Jaguars are strong swimmers and hunt in rainforests and swamps, catching capybaras, fish, turtles and even caimans.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Jaguar (with a capital J) is a British make of expensive car.↗ Example: The jaguar crept silently through the rainforest.↗ · Jaguars are the biggest cats in South America.↗ · Unlike most cats, jaguars love water.↗ · A jaguar's rosettes have little spots inside them.↗ · The jaguar pounced on a caiman by the river.↗ · The ancient Maya carved jaguars on their temples.↗ · My uncle's new car is a Jaguar.↗ · This is almost identical with a story quoted by Mr. Smith, where the jaguar is about to marry the deer's daughter.↗

jail — Everyday, meaning 1: A jail is a building where people are locked up as punishment for crimes or while waiting for trial.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To jail someone is to put them in jail.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Any place that feels like you cannot leave.↗ Example: The thief was sent to jail.↗ · In the board game, you land on «Go to jail».↗ · He was jailed for stealing cars.↗ · The old jail is now a museum.↗ · The prisoners escaped from jail.↗ · Being stuck indoors all day felt like jail.↗ · He tried to protest, but the two officers clapped their paws on his mouth and hustled him away to jail.↗

jailbird — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, old-fashioned) A person who is in prison or has often been in prison.↗ Example: The jailbird escaped through a tunnel.↗ · In the cartoon the jailbird wore a striped suit.↗ · Grandad called the villain an old jailbird.↗ · The story is about a jailbird who turns his life around.↗ · The jailbird was back behind bars.↗ · Calling someone a jailbird is not kind.↗

jailer — Everyday, meaning 1: A person whose job is to look after the prisoners in a jail and keep them locked in.↗ Example: The jailer turned the big iron key in the lock.↗ · Toad escaped with the help of the gaoler's daughter.↗ · The jailer brought the prisoners bread and water.↗ · In the Bible, Paul and Silas sang in prison and the jailer listened.↗ · Today a jailer is usually called a prison officer.↗ · The jailer fell asleep, and the hero crept out.↗

jain — Everyday, meaning 1: A follower of Jainism, an old religion from India that teaches non-violence to all living things.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Belonging to Jainism, as in a Jain temple.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Also a family name in India.↗ Example: My friend's family are Jains.↗ · Jains try not to harm any living creature.↗ · We visited a beautiful Jain temple.↗ · Many Jains do not eat root vegetables.↗ · The Jain festival of Diwali is also important to them.↗ · Mr Jain is our new maths teacher.↗

jainism — Everyday, meaning 1: (religion) An ancient religion from India that teaches non-violence to all living things, honesty, and freeing the soul by living simply.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Jains follow the teachings of Mahavira and earlier great teachers called Tirthankaras.↗ Example: Jainism began in India over 2,500 years ago.↗ · Jainism teaches respect for every living thing.↗ · Many people who follow Jainism do not eat meat, fish or eggs.↗ · Jains believe that the soul can be freed from the cycle of rebirth.↗ · There is a beautiful Jain temple in Leicester.↗ · In RE we compared Jainism and Buddhism.↗ · Ahimsa, or non-violence, is the heart of Jainism.↗

jam — Everyday, meaning 1: Jam is a sweet food made from fruit and sugar that you spread on bread.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A traffic jam is when many cars are stuck and cannot move.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To jam is to get stuck or to push something tightly into a space: the door jammed.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A jam is a difficult situation: in a jam.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: To jam is also to play music together freely.↗ Example: Mom made 6 jars of jam.↗ · Each jar holds 250 grams of jam.↗ · They sat in a traffic jam for 20 minutes.↗ · She spreads jam on 8 slices of bread.↗ · I like toast with strawberry jam.↗ · The printer has a paper jam.↗ · The drawer jammed and would not open.↗ · The bus was jam-packed with fans.↗ · I am in a jam: I forgot my homework.↗ · “And after the cauliflower, some cake and jam.”↗ · Hinc jam rebus Israel inclinatis ne deficeret per sapientes Hierusalem arcanis et (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Hinc jam rebus Israel inclinatis ne deficeret per sapientes Hierusalem arcanis et [p. 12] profundissimis sensibus literis commendatus."↗ Johannes Pistorius.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗