jape

[ jeyp ]
See synonyms for: japejapedjapingjaper on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),japed, jap·ing.
  1. to jest; joke; gibe.

verb (used with object),japed, jap·ing.
  1. to mock or make fun of.

noun
  1. a joke; jest; quip.

  2. a trick or practical joke.

Origin of jape

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English japen, perhaps from Old French jap(p)er “to bark,” of imitative origin

Other words from jape

  • japer, noun
  • jap·er·y, noun
  • jap·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby jape

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jape in a sentence

  • I'm goin' to jape a bit with our friend, a' la 'Molly' Fairburn.

    Stalky & Co. | Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for jape

jape

/ (dʒeɪp) /


noun
  1. a jest or joke

verb
  1. to joke or jest (about)

Origin of jape

1
C14: perhaps from Old French japper to bark, yap, of imitative origin

Derived forms of jape

  • japer, noun
  • japery, noun
  • japingly, adverb

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