jaw
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: ball-games
games
hobbies
lifestyle
nautical
snooker
sports
transport
Etymology: From Middle English jawe/jowe (“jaw; sides of the lower face”, 14th century), the further origin of which is disputed. Either:
* From Anglo-Norman jowe, from Old French joe (“cheek; jaw”), from Vulgar Latin *ga(v)ota (“cheek”), of uncertain further origin.
** It has been objected that the rhyming of jowe (“jaw”) with clowe (“claw”) in Middle English demonstrates that it did not have the vowel /uː/. This would be a concern if /uː/ were the vowel to expect from a borrowing of the Old French word, which it is not. Compare English paw < Middle English pawe/powe < Anglo-Norman powe < Old French poe.
* From Middle English *chowe, from Old English *ċēowe. The main difficulties with this theory are the notable lack of evidence and the late attestation of chaw (early 16th century). If it is correct, then the further origin would be Proto-West Germanic *keuwā (“jaw”), whence Saterland Frisian Kiuwe, Dutch kieuw, German Keu, Käu. For the initial consonant, compare jowl as a variant of chavel/chawl.
It is also conceivable that the word is a merger of two coincidentally similar sources. Gradually displaced Middle English chavel (from Old English ċeafl).
Inflected forms:
form: jaws
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: jaws
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: jawing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: jawed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: jawed
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth.
pos: noun
gloss: The part of the face below the mouth.
pos: noun
examples: His jaw dropped in amazement.
I'm up and jaws are on the floor
Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door
gloss: Anything resembling the jaw (sense 1) of an animal in form or action; the mouth or way of entrance.
pos: noun
tags: especially
figuratively
in-plural
examples: the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death.
gloss: A notch or opening.
pos: noun
gloss: A notched or forked part, adapted for holding an object in place.
pos: noun
examples: the jaw of a railway-car pedestal.
gloss: One of a pair of opposing parts which are movable towards or from each other, for grasping or crushing anything between them.
pos: noun
examples: the jaws of a vise; the jaws of a stone-crushing machine.
gloss: The inner end of a boom or gaff, hollowed in a half circle so as to move freely on a mast.
pos: noun
gloss: Impudent, abusive, or worthless talk.
pos: noun
tags: dated
slang
examples: Give me the boy, now, and no more of your jaw. I am going to take the boy home with me.
"A lot you care," said Digory fiercely. "But I'm sick of this jaw. What have I got to do?"
gloss: An axle guard.
pos: noun
tags: slang
gloss: The curved part of the cushion marking the entry to the pocket.
pos: noun
gloss: To assail or abuse by scolding.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: 1933, Ethel Lina White, The Spiral Staircase (Some Must Watch), Chapter 4, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0300931.txt
He built the Summit, so as to have no neighbours. And Lady Warren couldn't abide It. She was always jawing him about it, and they had one awful quarrel, in his study.
gloss: To scold; to clamor.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: […] he waked him, which put him in a main high passion, and he swore woundily at the lieutenant, and called him lousy Scotch son of a whore […], and swab, and lubber, whereby the lieutenant returned the salute, and they jawed together fore and aft a good spell, till at last the captain turned out, and, laying hold of a rattan, came athwart Mr. Bowling's quarter: whereby he told the captain that, if he was not his commander, he would heave him overboard […]
gloss: To talk; to converse.
pos: verb
tags: informal
intransitive
examples: Today the beastly boat is level at last and the sun’s out and we have all been jawing about what to do.
gloss: (of a ball) To stick in the jaws of a pocket.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
transitive
Related words: chin
Derived words: bis-phossy jaw
bisphossy jaw
bottle jaw
crackjaw
double open jaw
foot-jaw
glass jaw
Habsburg jaw
have wind in one's jaw
hog jaw
hold one's jaw
jaw away
jaw ball
jaw beard
jawblock
jaw-bone
jaw bone
jawbone
jawbreaker
jaw-breaker
jawbreaking
jaw-dropper
jaw-dropping
jaw-droppingly
jawfall
jawfallen
jawfish
jawfoot
jaw-jack
jaw-jaw
jaw-jutting
jawless
jawlike
jawline
jaw muscle
jaw plate
jawsmith
jaw-twister
jaw winking
jaw worm
jawy
knifejaw
lantern jaw
lantern-jawed
lockjaw
longjaw
loosejaw
lower jaw
lumpy jaw
make someone's jaw drop
netherjaw
open jaw
overjaw
pharyngeal jaws
phossy jaw
pi-jaw
radium jaw
ratchet jaw
set of one's jaw
slack-jawed
someone's jaw dropped
stickjaw
trap jaw ant
trap-jaw ant
underjaw
upper jaw
wapper jaw
with one's jaw in one's lap
jawbox
jaw down
Translations: