jab

[ jab ]
/ dʒæb /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR jab ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object), jabbed, jab·bing.

to poke, or thrust abruptly or sharply, as with the end or point of a stick.
to punch, especially with a short, quick blow.

noun

a poke with the end or point of something; a sharp, quick thrust.
a short, quick punch.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of jab

1815–25; variant, orig. Scots, of job2

OTHER WORDS FROM jab

jab·bing·ly, adverb

Words nearby jab

j/psi particle, ja, ja well no fine, ja., jaap, jab, jabal, jabalpur, jabari, jabber, jabberwocky
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to jab

dig, punch, blow, buck, hit, bump, nudge, lunge, push, stab, bunt, jog, thrust, tap, prod

Example sentences from the Web for jab

British Dictionary definitions for jab

jab
/ (dʒæb) /

verb jabs, jabbing or jabbed

to poke or thrust sharply
to strike with a quick short blow or blows

noun

a sharp poke or stab
a quick short blow, esp (in boxing) a straight punch with the leading hand
informal an injectionpolio jabs

Derived forms of jab

jabbing, adjectivejabbingly, adverb

Word Origin for jab

C19: originally Scottish variant of job
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012