joint
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /d͡ʒɔɪnt/
rhymes: -ɔɪnt
Forms: form: joints
form: jointing
form: jointed
form: jointed
Etymology: The noun is from Middle English joynt (attested since the late 13th century), from Old French joint (“joint of the body”) (attested since the 12th century). The adjective (attested since the 15th century) is from Old French jointiz. Both Old French words are from Latin iūnctus, the past participle of iungō. See also join, jugular, junction.
The meaning of "building, establishment", especially in connection with shady activities, appeared in Anglo-Irish by 1821 and entered general American English slang by 1877, especially in the sense of "opium den". The sense "marijuana cigarette" is attested since 1935. The development to meaning "any thing" also happened to the Scots and Memphian form junt and the Mid-Atlantic/Philadelphian form jawn.
Senses: examples: text: to joint boards
text: a jointing plane
text: Pierced through the yielding planks of jointed wood.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: But I must warn you that chipboard floors are always likely to squeak. The material is still being used in new-builds, but developers now use adhesive to bed and joint it, rather than screws or nails. I suspect the adhesive will eventually embrittle and crack, resulting in the same squeaking problems as before.
ref: 2014 August 17, Jeff Howell, “Home improvements: Repairing and replacing floorboards [print version: Never buy anything from a salesman, 16 August 2014, p. P7]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Property):
glosses: To unite by a joint or joints; to fit together; to prepare so as to fit together
examples: text: But soon that war had end, and the time's state
Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Caesar
ref: c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
glosses: To join; to connect; to unite; to combine.
examples: text: The fingers are […]jointed together for motion.
ref: 1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To provide with a joint or joints; to articulate.
examples: text: Another time alſo being minded to entertain king Priamus friendly, when he came unto his pavilion: / He then beſtir'd himſelfe, and caught up ſoone, / A good white ſheepe, whoſe throat he cut anon. / but about cutting it up, quartering, jointing, ſeething, and roſting, he ſpent a great part of the night: […]
ref: 1603, Plutarch, “[The Morals, or Miscellane Works of Plutarch. The Second Tome.] The Seventh Book. Of Symposiaques, or Banquet-Discourses.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 750:
text: He joints the neck.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To separate the joints; of; to divide at the joint or joints; to disjoint; to cut up into joints, as meat.
examples: text: the stones joint, neatly.
glosses: To fit as if by joints; to coalesce as joints do.