Lexicon: jiff – joint

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jiff, n. [unknown origin; ED's alternate for jib, n.]

Sail; [fig.] wing; [metaphor] breeze; gust of wind; [word play on “jiffy”] second; moment; very short space of time.

jig, n. [uncertain origin, poss. related to OFr gigue, stringed instrument, rude fiddle.] (webplay: dance).

Lively dance; rapid step; springy kind of folk dance; [fig.] celebration; joyful movement to music.

jocose (jocoser), adv. [L. jocosus.]

Merrily; more playfully; in a bantering manner; [fig.] louder.

jocund, adj. [OFr jocond < L. 'pleasant, agreeable, delightful'.]

Joyful; cheerful; laughing; mirth-filled; light-hearted; expressing happiness; communicating merriment.

joggle (joggling), v. [uncertain origin < jog , to shake up, jerk, jolt.]

  1. Upset; disturb; disrupt; interrupt.
  2. Tip; bump; knock; give a sudden but slight push.
  3. Bounce; jostle; travel down a bumpy road.

John (Little John), proper n. [see John, proper n. above.]

John Little of Derbyshire; giant bowman; loyal companion of Robin Hood; member of a green-clad forest band who robbed from the rich to feed the poor; [fig.] a legend; a fanciful story.

John, proper n. [L. < Gk < Heb. yôchānān, God is gracious.]

  1. John the Baptist; son of Zacharias and Elisabeth; cousin of Jesus; man who prepared the way for Christ; visionary who suffered imprisonment, persecution, and death; prophet who was beheaded by order of Herodias, the wife of Herod (see Luke 2; Matthew 14; see also next definition); [fig.] friend; beloved admirer.
  2. John the Beloved; son of Zebedee; brother of James; one of the Twelve disciples of Jesus; apostle who rested his head on Christ's breast at the Last Supper; author of the book of Revelation; holy man who has not known death; witness of Christ who did not die so that he can testify of the death and resurrection of Christ (see John 21:22-24; see also ED's letters); [fig.] child; loved one.

John, proper n. [See Alden, John, proper n.]

join (-s), v. [OFr joign < L. jungre, to join, root.] (webplay: mind).

  1. Participate; experience; take part; [fig.] take the sacrament; make a solemn commitment; enter into a covenant; unite oneself to a religious affiliation.
  2. Meet; touch; reunite; [fig.] continue; have continuity.
  3. Connect; unite; link; tie; reattach two separate sides.
  4. Escort; accompany; go with somebody.

joint (-s), n. [OFr jointe.] (webplay: wood).

  1. Stalk; harvest stubble; [metonymy] rows of a field; shallow valleys formed into farmland for the seeding process.
  2. Node; knot; inter-node of a stalk; space between segments of a plant.