# jazz
## English
### Alternative forms

* jaz, jas, jass, jasz (all dated, used from about 1912 to about 1918)

### Etymology

Unknown. First attested around 1912 in a discussion of baseball; attested in reference to music around 1915. Numerous references suggest that the term may be connected to jasm and jism.

### Pronunciation

* enPR: jăz, IPA: /d͡ʒæz/
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -æz

### Noun

jazz (usually uncountable, plural jazzes)
* (music) A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time, commonly characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms and improvisation.
** 1927, Samson Raphaelson, Alfred A. Cohn, The Jazz Singer, spoken by Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson):You dare to bring your jazz songs into my house!
** 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Not too Far Tangent”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 30:You all look out now, here I come, everybody step aside, I’m gonna show you where from! I'm gonna blow in this horn and make you know that jazz is the king and let it be so!
** 1995, Mike Reiss, Al Jean, “'Round Springfield”, in The Simpsons, season 6, episode 22, spoken by Bill Cosby:You see, the kids, they listen to the rap music which gives them the brain damage. With their hippin', and the hoppin', and the bippin', and the boppin', so they don't know what the jazz…is all about! You see, jazz is like the Jello Pudding Pop—no, actually, it's more like Kodak film—no, actually, jazz is like the New Coke: it'll be around forever, heh heh.
* (figurative) Energy, excitement, excitability.
** 1923 May 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “(please specify the page)”, in The Inimitable Jeeves, Harmondsworth, Middlesex [London]: Penguin Books, published 1979, →ISBN:“You want something zippy there. Something with a bit of jazz to it!”
** 1983, Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell, “Mexican Slayride”, in The A-Team, season 1, episode 1, spoken by B. A. Baracus (Mr. T):He loves the risk. The danger. He loves the jazz.
* The substance or makeup of a thing; unspecified thing(s).
    Synonyms: stuff; see also Thesaurus:junk, Thesaurus:thingy
    and all that jazz
    What is all this jazz lying around?
    I'm just going down to the shops and jazz.
** 1975, Garry Marshall et al., “Richie's Flip Side”, in Happy Days, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard):Dad, I want to be a jock. All a jock needs is some hep patter and a real gone image. Now, they just don't teach that jazz in college.
* (with positive terms) Something of excellent quality, the genuine article.
    That show was the jazz!
    This risotto is simply the jazz.
* Nonsense.
    Synonyms: rubbish, wass; see also Thesaurus:nonsense
    Stop talking jazz.
* (slang) Semen, jizz.
** 1968, Len Harrington, In drag, page 7:Suddenly, Bobby oozed his jazz into Gene's throat.
** 1974, Peter Pepper, Meatslinger, page 141:[…] making Glenn feel as though he could never stop shooting his jazz wildly up inside the man's brawny body!
** 2018, Bert Shrader, A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum:As he clung to the legs of his captor, he splayed his own out to the side, baring his groin and genitals to the eyes of all just as his jazz began to spurt out onto the stage.
* A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

#### Derived terms

* acid jazz
* Afro-Cuban jazz
* all that jazz
* bluegrass jazz
* bluegrass-jazz
* cool jazz
* electrojazz
* free jazz
* good enough for jazz
* gypsy jazz
* hot jazz
* jazz around
* jazz band
* jazzbo
* jazz bow
* jazz box
* jazz cabbage
* jazz cigarette
* jazzcore
* jazz dance
* jazzdom
* jazz dot
* jazzen
* jazzer
* jazzerati
* jazzercise
* jazzetry
* jazzfest
* jazz funeral
* jazz-funk
* jazz fusion
* jazz garter
* jazz hands
* jazzhead
* jazz-hop
* jazzical
* jazzification
* jazzify
* jazzish
* jazzist
* jazzistic
* jazz journalism
* jazzless
* jazz-like
* jazz mag
* jazz-mugham
* jazz mugham
* jazznik
* jazzophile
* jazzophone
* jazz pants
* jazzperson
* jazz poet
* jazz poetry
* jazz rap
* jazz-rock
* jazz square
* jazzstep
* jazzster
* jazz up
* jazzwoman
* jazzy
* modal jazz
* nonjazz
* nu jazz
* nu-jazz
* outjazz
* progressive jazz
* punk jazz
* punk-jazz
* smooth jazz
* straight-ahead jazz
* traditional jazz
* trad jazz

#### Descendants

* → Arabic: جَاز (jāz)
* → Armenian: ջազ (ǰaz)
* → Bulgarian: джаз (džaz)
* → Catalan: jazz, džez
* → Czech: jazz
* → Danish: jazz
* → Dutch: jazz
* → Esperanto: ĵazo
* → Estonian: džäss
* → Faroese: djassur
* → Finnish: jazz, jatsi
* → French: jazz
* → Georgian: ჯაზი (ǯazi)
* → German: Jazz
* → Greek: τζαζ (tzaz)
* → Hebrew: ג׳ז, ג׳אז
* → Hungarian: dzsessz, jazz
* → Icelandic: djass, jass
* → Italian: jazz
* → Japanese: ジャズ (jazu)
* → Korean: 재즈 (jaejeu)
* → Latvian: džezs
* → Lithuanian: džiazas
* → Macedonian: џез (džez)
* → Norwegian Bokmål: jazz
* → Norwegian Nynorsk: jazz
* → Persian: جاز
* → Polish: jazz, dżez
* → Portuguese: jazz
* → Romanian: jazz
* → Russian: джаз (džaz)
* → Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic script: џе̏з
    Latin script: džȅz
* → Slovak: džez
* → Slovene: džẹ̑z
* → Spanish: jazz
* → Swedish: jazz
* → Tagalog: dyas, diyas
* → Thai: แจ๊ส (jɛ́ɛt)
* → Turkish: caz
* → Ukrainian: джаз (džaz)
* → Yiddish: דזשאַז (dzhaz)

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Verb

jazz (third-person singular simple present jazzes, present participle jazzing, simple past and past participle jazzed)
* (slang) To destroy; to ruin.
    You’ve gone and jazzed it now!
* To play (jazz music).
* To dance to the tunes of jazz music.
* To enliven, brighten up, make more colourful or exciting. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
* (slang) To complicate. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
    Don’t jazz it too much!
* (intransitive, US slang, dated) To have sex for money, to prostitute oneself.
** 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 59:‘Jazzing?’ Temple whispered […] . ‘Yes, putty-face!’ the woman said. ‘How do you suppose I paid that lawyer?’
* (intransitive, slang) To move (around/about) in a lively or frivolous manner; to fool around. [from 20th c.]
** 1958, Doris Lessing, A Ripple From the Storm, HarperPerennial, published 1995, page 119:‘Well, if you're going to jazz about the way you do, I suppose you'll need rouge at your age.’
* (slang, transitive) To distract or pester.
    Stop jazzing me!
* (slang) To ejaculate.
** 1982, Arthur Winfield Knight, Kit Knight, Beat angels, page 7:Twenty-four black men jazzed madly as trumpets exploded her eardrums in tom-tom time. Ebony orgasm flooded her with creme.
** 1986, Winston Leyland, Hard, page 84:The thrill of the rimming soon made this guy beg for me to stop before he jazzed his nuts.
** 1988, First Hand - Volume 8, Issue 2, page 47:I reached around and began jacking off Marshall's prick as I was jazzing his ass.

#### Synonyms

* (to destroy): annihilate, ravage; see also Thesaurus:destroy
* (to play jazz music): cook, jam; see also Thesaurus:play music
* (to enliven): invigorate, vitalise; see also Thesaurus:enliven
* (to complicate): complexify, confuscate; see also Thesaurus:complicate
* (to prostitute oneself): sell one's body, turn tricks; see also Thesaurus:prostitute oneself
* (to pester): bother, bug; see also Thesaurus:annoy

#### Translations
### References

* ↑ The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 2014, →ISBN says that most authorities derive it from jasm, a variant of jism. Partridge also says it was first recorded in reference to music in a 1917 Chicago Tribune advertisement for "Bert Kelly's Jaz Band", having previously been used in baseball.

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈʒas]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈd͡ʒas]

### Noun

jazz m (invariable)
* jazz

#### Derived terms

* jazzístic

### Further reading

* “jazz” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “jazz”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “jazz” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

## Czech
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Noun

jazz m inan
* jazz

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “jazz”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “jazz”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Danish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Noun

jazz m (definite singular jazzen)
* (uncountable) jazz (form of music)

#### Derived terms

* jazzfestival
* jazzklub
* jazzkoncert
* jazzkvartet
* jazzmiljø
* jazznummer
* jazzpianist
* jazztrompetist

## Dutch
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dʒɛz/, /dʒɛs/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: jazz
* Rhymes: -ɛs

### Noun

jazz m (uncountable)
* jazz

#### Derived terms

* cooljazz
* dixielandjazz
* freejazz
* gipsyjazz
* jazzconcert
* jazzfestival
* jazzgitarist
* jazzmuziek
* jazzpianist
* jazzplaat
* jazzrock
* jazztrompettist
* jazzvogel
* jazzy
* jazzzanger
* jazzzangeres
* nederjazz
* negerjazz
* souljazz
* swingjazz
* zigeunerjazz

## Finnish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈjɑts/, [ˈjɑ̝ts̠]
* IPA: /ˈdʒæz/, [ˈdʒæz]
* Rhymes: -ɑts
* Hyphenation: jazz

### Noun

jazz
* jazz (style of music)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of jazz (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
jazzini
jazzini
accusative
nom.
jazzini
jazzini
gen.
jazzini
genitive
jazzini
jazzieni
partitive
jazziani
jazzejani
inessive
jazzissani
jazzeissani
elative
jazzistani
jazzeistani
illative
jazziini
jazzeihini
adessive
jazzillani
jazzeillani
ablative
jazziltani
jazzeiltani
allative
jazzilleni
jazzeilleni
essive
jazzinani
jazzeinani
translative
jazzikseni
jazzeikseni
abessive
jazzittani
jazzeittani
instructive
comitative
—jazzeineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
jazzisi
jazzisi
accusative
nom.
jazzisi
jazzisi
gen.
jazzisi
genitive
jazzisi
jazziesi
partitive
jazziasi
jazzejasi
inessive
jazzissasi
jazzeissasi
elative
jazzistasi
jazzeistasi
illative
jazziisi
jazzeihisi
adessive
jazzillasi
jazzeillasi
ablative
jazziltasi
jazzeiltasi
allative
jazzillesi
jazzeillesi
essive
jazzinasi
jazzeinasi
translative
jazziksesi
jazzeiksesi
abessive
jazzittasi
jazzeittasi
instructive
comitative
—jazzeinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
jazzimme
jazzimme
accusative
nom.
jazzimme
jazzimme
gen.
jazzimme
genitive
jazzimme
jazziemme
partitive
jazziamme
jazzejamme
inessive
jazzissamme
jazzeissamme
elative
jazzistamme
jazzeistamme
illative
jazziimme
jazzeihimme
adessive
jazzillamme
jazzeillamme
ablative
jazziltamme
jazzeiltamme
allative
jazzillemme
jazzeillemme
essive
jazzinamme
jazzeinamme
translative
jazziksemme
jazzeiksemme
abessive
jazzittamme
jazzeittamme
instructive
comitative
—jazzeinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
jazzinne
jazzinne
accusative
nom.
jazzinne
jazzinne
gen.
jazzinne
genitive
jazzinne
jazzienne
partitive
jazzianne
jazzejanne
inessive
jazzissanne
jazzeissanne
elative
jazzistanne
jazzeistanne
illative
jazziinne
jazzeihinne
adessive
jazzillanne
jazzeillanne
ablative
jazziltanne
jazzeiltanne
allative
jazzillenne
jazzeillenne
essive
jazzinanne
jazzeinanne
translative
jazziksenne
jazzeiksenne
abessive
jazzittanne
jazzeittanne
instructive
comitative
—jazzeinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
jazzinsa
jazzinsa
accusative
nom.
jazzinsa
jazzinsa
gen.
jazzinsa
genitive
jazzinsa
jazziensa
partitive
jazziaan jazziansa
jazzejaan jazzejansa
inessive
jazzissaan jazzissansa
jazzeissaan jazzeissansa
elative
jazzistaan jazzistansa
jazzeistaan jazzeistansa
illative
jazziinsa
jazzeihinsa
adessive
jazzillaan jazzillansa
jazzeillaan jazzeillansa
ablative
jazziltaan jazziltansa
jazzeiltaan jazzeiltansa
allative
jazzilleen jazzillensa
jazzeilleen jazzeillensa
essive
jazzinaan jazzinansa
jazzeinaan jazzeinansa
translative
jazzikseen jazziksensa
jazzeikseen jazzeiksensa
abessive
jazzittaan jazzittansa
jazzeittaan jazzeittansa
instructive
comitative
—jazzeineen jazzeinensa :

#### Synonyms

* jatsi

#### Derived terms

* fuusiojazz
* groovejazz
* grovejazz
* jazzartisti
* jazzfestivaali
* jazzklubi
* jazzlaulaja
* jazzmessu
* jazzmusiikki
* jazzmuusikko
* jazzorkesteri
* jazztanssi

### Further reading

* “jazz”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz. The compound jazband is attested in a 1918 copy of Le Matin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /dʒaz/ ~ /dʒɑz/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

jazz m (uncountable)
* (music) jazz (music style)

#### Derived terms

* jazz
* jazzifier
* jazzman

### Further reading

* “jazz”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Italian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛt͡s/$^*$, /ˈd͡ʒaz/, /ˈd͡ʒɛz/
* Rhymes: -ɛts, -az, -ɛz

### Noun

jazz m (uncountable)
* (music) jazz

### Adjective

jazz (invariable)
* (relational) jazz
    Synonym: jazzistico

#### Derived terms

* jazzista
* jazzistico

### References

* ↑ jazz in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

### Further reading

* jazz in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Alternative forms

* jass

### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

jazz m (definite singular jazzen)
* (uncountable) jazz (form of music)

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Alternative forms

* jass

### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz.

### Noun

jazz m (definite singular jazzen)
* (uncountable) jazz (form of music)

## Polish
### Alternative forms

* dżez

### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈd͡ʐɛs/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛs
* Syllabification: jazz

### Noun

jazz m inan (related adjective jazzowy)
* jazz
* (slang) marijuana
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:marihuana
** 2011, Firma, (lyrics and music), “JaraMy” (track 20), in Nasza broń to nasza pasja, performed by Firma:Śmiech, relaks i spokój w każdym machu / rozpoznam kozaka po wyglądzie i zapachu / śpię po tym jak dziecko i śmieje się do łez / mniej szkodliwe to niż wóda, zalegalizujcie jazz!Laughter, relaxation, and peace with every toke / I can tell a badass by the way he looks / it makes me sleep like a baby and I laugh til I cry / it's less harmful than vodka, legalize hash!

#### Derived terms

* jazzband
* jazzman

### Further reading

* jazz in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* jazz in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛ(j)s/ [ˈd͡ʒɛ(ɪ̯)s]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛ(j)s/ [ˈd͡ʒɛ(ɪ̯)s]
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɛ(j)ʃ/ [ˈd͡ʒɛ(ɪ̯)ʃ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈʒas/
* Rhymes: -ɛs, -ɛjs, -as
* Hyphenation: jazz

### Noun

jazz m (uncountable)
* (music) jazz (musical genre that emerged in the early 20th century in the United States of America, resulting from the fusion of elements from different musical traditions)
** 2010, Ricardo da Mata, O Mundo Lá Fora, Clube de Autores, page 199:Que é isso? Uma rádio tocando jazz de manhã e prometendo tocar música erudita na sequência? Só pode ser piada ou estou sonhando ainda!What is this? A radio playing jazz in the morning and promising to play classical next? It can only be a joke, or I am still dreaming!

#### Derived terms

* jazzista
* jazzístico
* jazzófilo
* jazzista m or f by sense

### Further reading

* “jazz”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* “jazz”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English jazz or French jazz.

### Noun

jazz n (uncountable)
* (music) jazz (music style)

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English jazz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈʝas/ [ˈɟ͡ʝas]
* IPA: (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈʝas/ [ˈɟ͡ʝas]
* IPA: (Buenos Aires and environs) /ˈʃas/ [ˈʃas]
* IPA: (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈʒas/ [ˈʒas]
* Audio (Spain):(file)
* Rhymes: -as

### Noun

jazz m (uncountable)
* jazz

#### Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

#### Derived terms

* jazzista m or f by sense

### Further reading

* “jazz”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swedish
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

jazz c
* (music) jazz

#### Derived terms

* jazztobak (“cannabis”)

### References

* jazz in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* jazz in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* jazz in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)