any of several noisy, vivacious birds of the crow family, subfamily Garrulinae, as the crested Garrulus glandarius, of the Old World, having brownish plumage with blue, black, and white barring on the wings.
Informal. a simpleminded or gullible person.
John, 1745–1829, U.S. statesman and jurist: first chief justice of the U.S. 1789–95.
a male given name.
any of various passerine birds of the family Corvidae (crows), esp the Eurasian Garrulus glandarius, with a pinkish-brown body, blue-and-black wings, and a black-and-white crest See also blue jay
a foolish or gullible person
1275–35; Middle English jai < Middle French < Late Latin gāius, gāia, perhaps after Latin Gāius man's name
First recorded in 1965–70; probably spelling of initial consonant of joint, perhaps suggested by pig Latin version ointjay
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rep. Monique Miller, a Republican representing the Space Coast district, took issue with the scrub jay, not the flamingo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
"There's a jay ... That's a bluethroat ... Do you see the hen harrier? We're lucky," the 37-year-old photographer told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
In contrast, larger birds such as the Toco toucan or the Curl-crested jay disperse the seeds of trees with a higher carbon storage potential.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2024
In downtown Perry, Iowa, on Friday, residents wore blue to support each other, reflecting the school district’s mascot, the blue jay.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
She screeches like a blue jay when she laughs.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
"We are the greatest when we come together as people," said Jackie, from Jay Dee's Catering, who has been trading at the event for 15 years with her family business.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
"We are now firmly in the quantum advantage era," said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Jay Williams, 58 years old, started taking Rasonque in July after rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and a major surgery failed to halt his cancer’s spread.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Strategists Jay Barry and Jason Hunter predict fallout from the Treasury’s move.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
“So you don’t stub your toe against rocks?” asks Jay.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
