jay
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: jā
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒeɪ/
rhymes: -eɪ
Forms: form: jays
Etymology: From Middle English jay, from Old French jai ("jay"; Modern French geai), either from Late Latin gaius (“jay”), or from Old French gai (“gay, merry”), so named due to its plumage, from Old Frankish *gāhi (“quick, impetuous”), from Proto-Germanic *ganhuz, *ganhwaz (“sudden”), cognate with Dutch gaai (“jay”). More at gay.
Senses: glosses: Any of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus, Cyanocitta, Aphelocoma, Perisoreus, Cyanocorax, Gymnorhinus, Cyanolyca, Ptilostomus, and Calocitta, allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely coloured, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
glosses: Any of various other birds of similar appearance and behaviour.
examples: text: They are the commonality of birddom, who furnish forth the mobs which bewilder the drunken-flighted jay when he jerks, shrieking in a series of blue hyphen-flashes through the air […]
ref: 1878, Philip Stewart Robinson, In My Indian Garden:
glosses: Any of various other birds of similar appearance and behaviour.
The Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis.
glosses: Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium.
examples: text: Burlington Bertie's the latest young jay
He rents a swell flat somewhere Kensington way
He spends the good oof that his pater has made
Along with the Brandy and Soda Brigade.
ref: 1900, Harry B. Norris, “Burlington Bertie”:
glosses: A dull or ignorant person. It survives today in the term jaywalking.
examples: text: Some jay of Italy, / Whose mother was her painting, hath betray'd him:
ref: a. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, act 3, scene 4, lines 50–51:
glosses: Promiscuous woman; prostitute.
Synonyms: sense: bird
word: Jenny jay
sense: bird
word: jay pie
sense: bird
word: k
sense: bird
word: kae
sense: bird
word: bluejay
sense: bird
word: whisky jack
sense: ignorant person
word: ignoramus
sense: promiscuous woman
word: promiscuous woman
word: prostitute
Hyponyms: sense: bird
word: Old World jay
sense: bird
word: gray jay
sense: bird
word: American jay
Derived terms: sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: azure jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: blue-fronted jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: blue jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: bluejay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
taxonomic: Aphelocoma californica
word: California jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
taxonomic: Perisoreus canadensis
word: Canada jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Eurasian jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
taxonomic: Aphelocoma coerulescens
word: Florida jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Florida scrub jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
taxonomic: Cyanocorax luxuosus
word: green jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: grey jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: jaybird
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: jaylike
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
taxonomic: Leiothrichidae spp.
word: jay thrush
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: jaywalk
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: jaywalker
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Labrador jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: magpie-jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: naked as a jay bird
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: naked as a jay-bird
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: piñon jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: pinyon jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: San Blas jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: scrub jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Siberian jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Sichuan jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: sing-jay
sense: terms derived from jay (bird)
word: Steller's jay
sense: Other terms with "jay"
word: jay-walker
sense: Other terms with "jay"
word: naked as a jay
sense: Other terms with "jay"
word: va-jay-jay
Related terms: Corvidae