jester
Americannoun
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a person who is given to witticisms, jokes, and pranks.
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a professional fool or clown, especially at a medieval court.
noun
Etymology
Origin of jester
First recorded in 1325–75, jester is from the Middle English word gester. See gest, -er 1
Explanation
A jester is a joker or clown who performs for an audience. Most jesters worked for English kings' courts during medieval and Tudor times. Back in Shakespeare's day, English royals employed many entertainers who performed plays, songs, and other acts for them. Among these professionals was the jester, whose job was keeping the nobles amused. Some jesters would travel in groups, putting on shows in various cities. Fools and jesters appear in many of Shakespeare's plays. The word was originally spelled gestour, which was defined as "a minstrel or teller of tales." The root is the Anglo-Latin gesten, "recite a tale."
Vocabulary lists containing jester
All's Faire in Middle School
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Lyrics from "American Pie" by Don McLean
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Lifeboat 12
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver the 2026 budget statement, marking the first under a new cabinet and coming at a time of profound shifts in global developments, UOB economist Jester Koh said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
My husband and I attended a live version of "The King's Jester" in late 2021, when Minhaj was still refining it.
From Salon • Sep. 23, 2023
The tasting room also doubles as a bottle shop with a well-curated bottle list that boasts arguably the state’s largest selection of the cult brand Jester King Brewery and the Gueuzerie Tilquin lambic ales.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2023
The choir has over the years featured celebrated vocalists and composers, including Mahalia Jackson, Jester Hairston, the Clara Ward Singers, Ethel Waters and Dorothy Maynor.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2022
It set out that the pilgrim was Rahere’s man, and that Rahere was the King’s Jester.
From Rewards and Fairies by Kipling, Rudyard
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.
