jake
adjective
satisfactory; OK; fine.
jake
1 American
[jeyk]
/ dʒeɪk /
adjective
Slang.
jake
2
American
[jeyk]
/ dʒeɪk /
noun
Slang.
-
a homemade or bootleg liquor made from or infused with Jamaica ginger, especially during Prohibition in the U.S.
-
Also called jake-leg paralysis. Also called jake leg;. paralysis caused by drinking this or other liquor made with denatured alcohol.
Jake
3
American
[jeyk]
/ dʒeɪk /
noun
jake
British
/ dʒeɪk /
adjective
-
satisfactory; all right
-
everything is under control
Etymology
Origin of jake1
First recorded in 1895–1900; origin uncertain
Origin of jake2
1925–30, apparently alteration of Jamaica (ginger) ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
In their place appeared the generic landscape of an American highway exit: service stations and highway signs, motels and mobile homes, the staccato of jake brakes on eighteen-wheelers.
From New York Times ● May 27, 2021
His first name was John or jake or something.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 8, 2016
As the old Ira Gershwin lyric put it: Comes the revolution, all is jake / Comes the revolution, we'll be eating cake.
From Chicago Tribune ● Nov. 19, 2014
Scarlett puts her right hand on jake face.Scarlett: “don’t cry it’s going to over I promised you will be fine, close your eyes and takes a dream with pretty girl”.http://azmalhome.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/no-chance-in-world-of-get-enough-what-want/
From Time ● May 3, 2013
“You only need that high school degree if you’re striking for college. I’m doing absolutely jake without it.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
In 2001 cult classic “Donnie Darko,” she was Samantha, the younger sister of Jake Gyllenhaal’s troubled Donnie Darko.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The BBC's Jake Kwon joined 12 singles on a weekend away at Donghwasa, a Buddhist temple in the south of the country.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
MetroLoft transformed the 19th-century warehouse into luxury dwellings that attracted A-list celebrities, including actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Meg Ryan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
In a pair of corresponding moves, the Dodgers optioned right-handed reliever Paul Gervase to triple-A Oklahoma City and released left-hander Jake Eder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Jake, Kojo, and Grace hurried up the halls, hoping to gather some intelligence about their foes: Mrs. Malvolio and her uncle, Heath Huxley.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
