JELLYBY, jel'i-bi, _n._ a philanthropist who cares only for distant people--from Mrs _Jellyby_ in _Bleak House_, who busies herself about Borrioboola Gha, while her own household is going to ruin.
JEMIDAR, jem'i-dar, _n._ a native officer in the Indian army of the rank of lieutenant: an officer of police, customs, &c.--Also JAM'ADAR. [Hind.]
JEMMY, jem'i, _n._ a burglar's short crowbar: (_slang_) a baked sheep's head: a greatcoat.
JEMMY, jem'i, _adj._ neat, smart, handy--also GEMM'Y.--_n._ JEMM'INESS, neatness.
JENKINS, jengk'ins, _n._ (_coll._) a society reporter, toady.
JENNET, jen'et, _n._ a small Spanish horse.--Also GENN'ET, GEN'ET. [O. Fr.
_genette_--Sp. _ginete_; Moorish.]
JENNETING, jen'et-ing, _n._ a kind of early apple. [Prob. apple of St _Jean_ or John; not from _June-eating_.]
JENNY, jen'i, _n._ a female bird, a wren--usually JENN'Y-WREN: a female ass: a spinning-jenny. [From the name _Jenny_; prob. the last sense from _gin_.]
JEOFAIL, jef'[=a]l, _n._ an error in pleadings, or the acknowledgment of a mistake. [O. Fr. _je faille_, I fail.]
JEOPARDY, jep'ard-i, _n._ hazard, danger.--_vs.t._ JEOP'ARD, JEOP'ARDISE, to put in jeopardy.--_n._ JEOP'ARDER.--_adj._ JEOP'ARDOUS, exposed to danger or loss.--_adv._ JEOP'ARDOUSLY. [Fr. _jeu parti_, a divided game--Low L. _jocus partitus_--L. _jocus_, a game, _partitus_, divided--_part[=i]ri_, to divide.]
JERBOA, j[.e]r-b[=o]'a, _n._ a genus of small rodent quadrupeds, remarkable for the length of their hind-legs and their power of jumping. [Ar.
_yarb[=u]'_.]
JEREED, je-r[=e]d', _n._ a kind of blunt javelin used by the Turks in mock-fights. [Ar. _jar[=i]d_.]
JEREMIAD, jer-e-m[=i]'ad, _n._ a lamentation: a tale of grief: a doleful story. [From _Jeremiah_ the prophet, author of the book of Lamentations.]
JERFALCON. Same as GYRFALCON.
JERICHO, jer'i-k[=o], _n._ a remote place, to which one is humorously consigned--from _Jericho_ in Palestine and the story in 2 Sam. x. 4, 5.
JERK, j[.e]rk, _v.t._ to throw with a quick effort: to give a sudden movement.--_n._ a short, sudden movement: a striking against with a sudden motion: an involuntary spasmodic contraction of a muscle.--_ns._ JERK'ER; JERK'INESS.--_adj._ JERK'Y, moving or coming by jerks or starts, spasmodic; capricious, impatient. [A variant of _jert_ and _gird_, and conn. with _yard_, a rod.]
JERK, j[.e]rk, _v.t._ to search, as a vessel for concealed or smuggled goods--also JERQUE.--_ns._ JERK'ER, JERQU'ER; JERQU'ING.
JERK, j[.e]rk, _n._ meat cut into thin pieces and dried in the sun.--Also JERK'Y. [Chilian _charqui_.]
JERKIN, j[.e]r'kin, _n._ a young salmon.--Also GIN'KIN.
JERKIN, j[.e]r'kin, _n._ a jacket, a short coat or close waistcoat.--_n._ JER'KIN-HEAD (_archit._) the combination of a truncated gable with a hipped roof. [Dut., dim. of _jurk_, a frock.]
JERKINET, j[.e]r'ki-net, _n._ a woman's outer jacket.
JEROBOAM, jer-o-b[=o]'am, _n._ a large metal bowl: eight bottles. [Allusion to 1 Kings, xi. 28.]
JERQUER, JERQUING. See JERK (2).
JERRY-BUILDER, jer'i-bild'[.e]r, _n._ one who builds flimsy houses cheaply and hastily, a speculative builder.--_n._ JERR'Y-BUILD'ING.--_adj._ JERR'Y-BUILT.--_n._ JERR'Y-SHOP, a low dram-shop. [Prob. the personal name.]
JERSEY, j[.e]r'zi, _n._ the finest part of wool: combed wool: a close-fitting woollen shirt, or kind of under-vest, worn in rowing, &c.
[From the island _Jersey_.]
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, PONY. See ARTICHOKE, PONY.
JESS, jes, _n._ a short strap round the legs of a hawk.--_adj._ JESSED, having jesses on. [O. Fr. _ject_--L. _jact[=a]re_, to fling, freq. of _jac[)e]re_, to throw.]
JESSAMINE, jes'a-min. See JASMINE.
JESSAMY, jes'sa-mi, _n._ jasmine: a dandy.
JESSANT, jes'ant, _adj._ (_her._) rising from the bottom line of a field or an upper line of an ordinary. [Perhaps a corr. of _issuant_. Cf. _issue_.]
JESSE, jes'i, _n._ a large branched candlestick used in churches, formerly hung up in churches. [From its likeness to the genealogical tree of Christ's descent from _Jesse_ (Is. xi. 1), the father of David, often in medieval churches carried out in stained glass (a _jesse window_), sculpture, mural decoration, &c.]
JESSERANT, jes'e-rant, _n._ splint armour.--Also JAZ'ERANT. [O. Fr.
_gesseron_, _jazeran_--Sp. _jacerina_.]
JEST, jest, _n._ something ludicrous: joke: fun: something uttered in sport: object of laughter.--_v.i._ to make a jest: to joust.--_ns._ JEST'-BOOK, a collection of funny stories; JEST'ER, one who jests: a buffoon: a court-fool.--_adj._ JEST'FUL, given to jesting.--_adv._ JEST'INGLY.--_n._ JEST'ING-STOCK, a butt for jests. [Orig. 'a deed, a story,' M. E. _geste_--O. Fr. _geste_--L. _gesta_--_ger[)e]re_, to do.]
JESUIT, jez'[=u]-it, _n._ a member of the famous religious order, the Society of _Jesus_, founded in 1534 by Ignatius Loyola: a crafty or insidious person, an intriguer.--_v.t._ to make a Jesuit of.--_adjs._ JESUIT'IC, -AL.--_adv._ Jesuit'ically.--_ns._ JES'UITISM, Jesuitry: the principles and practices of the Jesuits: cunning: deceit; JESUITOC'RACY, government by Jesuits; JES'UITRY, Jesuitism.--JESUITS' BARK, cinchona, because introduced to Rome by Jesuit missionaries.
JESUS, j[=e]'zus, _n._ the Saviour of mankind.--_n._ JeSUS, a size of paper, super-royal.--COMPANY, or SOCIETY, OF JESUS, the Jesuit order.--GRAND JeSUS, imperial. [Gr. _I[=e]sous_--Heb. _Y[=e]sh[=u]'a_, contr. of _Yeh[=o]sh[=u]'a_, help of Jehovah, the Saviour--_y[=a]sha'_, to save.]
JET, jet, _n._ a rich black variety of mineral coal, very hard and compact, taking a brilliant polish, used for ornaments.--_adj._ JET'-BLACK.--_n._ JET'TINESS.--_adj._ JET'TY, made of jet, or black as jet. [O. Fr.
_jaet_--L.--Gr. _gagat[=e]s_, from _Gagas_, a town and river in Lycia, in Asia Minor, where it was obtained.]
JET, jet, _n._ a spouting stream: a spout at the end of a gas-pipe emitting the flame.--_v.t._ to throw out, shoot forth.--_v.i._ to strut, to encroach arrogantly upon.--_n._ JETTATU'RA, the Evil-eye. [O. Fr. _jetter_--L.
_jact[=a]re_, to fling, freq. of _jac[)e]re_, to throw.]
JETSAM, jet'sam, _n._ the throwing of goods overboard to lighten a vessel: the goods so thrown away which remain under water (see FLOTSAM)--also JET'SOM, JET'SON, JET'TISON.--_v.t._ JET'TISON, to throw overboard, as goods, in time of danger. [Anglo-Fr. _jetteson_--L. _jactation-em_, a casting.]
JETTON, jet'on, _n._ a piece of stamped metal used as a counter in card-playing, &c.
JETTY, jet'i, _n._ a projection: a kind of pier. [O. Fr. _jettee_, thrown out. See Jet (2).]
JEW, j[=oo], _n._ an inhabitant of Judea: a Hebrew or Israelite: opprobriously used for a usurer, miser, &c.:--_fem._ JEW'ESS.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ (_coll._) to overreach: cheat.--_n._ JEW'-BAIT'ING, the persecuting of Jews.--_adj._ JEW'ISH, belonging to the Jews.--_adv._ JEW'ISHLY.--_ns._ JEW'ISHNESS; JEW'S'-EAR, a fungus that grows on the elder, and bears some resemblance to the human ear; JEW'S' FRANK'INCENSE, the balsam known as benzoin or gum storax, often used as an incense; JEW'S'-HARP, a small harp-shaped musical instrument played between the teeth by striking a spring with the finger; JEW'S'-MALL'OW, a plant much cultivated as a pot-herb by the Jews in Syria; JEW'S'-MYR'TLE, the prickly-leaved plant Ruscus aculeatus; JEW'S'-PITCH, asphaltum; JEW'S'-STONE, the fossil spine of a large echinus or sea hedgehog.--JEW'S EYE, in proverb 'Worth a Jew's eye,' something of high value--from the custom of torturing Jews for money; JEWS' HOUSES, in Cornwall, the name given to prehistoric miners'
dwellings.--WANDERING JEW (see WANDER). [O. Fr. _Juis_--L. _Judaeus_--Gr.
_Ioudaios_--Heb. _Yeh[=u]d[=a]h_, Judah.]
JEWEL, j[=oo]'el, _n._ a precious stone: an ornament of precious stones, worn as a decoration: anything or any one highly valued.--_v.t._ to dress or adorn with jewels: to fit with a jewel:--_pr.p._ jew'elling; _pa.p._ jew'elled, in a watch, having pivot-holes of garnets or any other jewels.--_ns._ JEW'EL-CASE, a casket for holding jewels; JEW'ELLER, one who makes or deals in jewels; JEW'ELLERY, JEW'ELRY, jewels in general. [O. Fr.
_jouel_ (Fr. _joyau_); either a dim. of Fr. _joie_, joy, from L. _gaudium_, joy--_gaud[=e]re_, to rejoice--or derived through Low L. _jocale_, from L.
_joc[=a]ri_, to jest.]
JEWRY, j[=oo]'ri, _n._ Judea: a district inhabited by _Jews_.
JEZEBEL, jez'e-bel, _n._ a bold and vicious woman, a virago. [From Ahab's wicked wife.]
JIB, jib, _n._ a triangular sail borne in front of the foremast in a ship, so called from its shifting of itself.--_v.t._ to shift a boom sail from one tack to the other.--_v.i._ to move restively.--_ns._ JIB'-BOOM, a boom or extension of the bowsprit, on which the jib is spread; JIB'-DOOR, a door flush with the outside wall, intended to be concealed.--THE CUT OF ONE'S JIB, appearance. [Dan. _gibbe_, to jib; cf. Dut. _gijpen_, to turn suddenly.]