jaw

[jaw]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR jaw ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

either of two bones, the mandible or maxilla, forming the framework of the mouth.

the part of the face covering these bones, the mouth, or the mouth parts collectively: My jaw is swollen.

jaws, anything resembling a pair of jaws or evoking the concept of grasping and holding: the jaws of a gorge; the jaws of death.

Machinery.

one of two or more parts, as of a machine, that grasp or hold something: the jaws of a vise.
any of two or more protruding parts for attaching to or meshing with similar parts.

Often jaws. Also called throat. Nautical. a forked piece at the end of a gaff, fitting halfway around the mast.

Slang.

idle talk; chatter.
impertinent talk.

verb (used without object)

Slang.

to talk; chat; gossip.
to scold or use abusive language.

verb (used with object)

Slang. to scold.

Origin of jaw

1325–75; Middle English jawe, jowe < Old French joue; origin uncertain

Related formsjaw·less, adjective

jaw

[jaw]Scot. and North England

noun

a swelling wave of water; billow.

verb (used without object)

(of liquid) to surge, splash, or dash forward, as in waves.

verb (used with object)

to pour or splash (liquid).

Origin of jaw

First recorded in 1505–15; perhaps akin to jaup

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for jaw

mouth, bone, orifice, muzzle, jowl, maxilla, mandible, orate, prate, yak, babble, jabber, prattle, chat, gossip, lecture, chatter, gab, revile

Examples from the Web for jaw

Contemporary Examples of jaw

It took me 1,015 strokes to see this shade of green in a world of orange, and my jaw nearly dropped.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art
Alec Kubas-Meyer
January 2, 2015
And soon all of America got to see Ray in the ring with Janay, hitting her with a shot in the jaw.
The $44 Million Teflon Don of the NFL
Mike Barnicle
November 30, 2014
He dropped and I felt a tight surge in my stomach that ran all the way up to my jaw.
I Shot Bin Laden
Elliot Ackerman
November 16, 2014
I shifted and put the casing in my pocket, and when I did, I felt a quickening from my stomach to my jaw.
I Shot Bin Laden
Elliot Ackerman
November 16, 2014
He caught the first round in his thin and neatly clipped beard, right under the jaw.
I Shot Bin Laden
Elliot Ackerman
November 16, 2014

Historical Examples of jaw

But yesterday he up and bashed a fellow in the jaw, and the man went down.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Stanley's jaw dropped, but it was surprise which slackened the muscles.
Good Indian
B. M. Bower
Urga got up groggily, feeling gingerly the tender point of his jaw.
Slaves of Mercury
Nat Schachner
For a moment Thad could see great, hooked fangs in that jaw.
Salvage in Space
John Stewart Williamson
You'll get a punch on the jaw in a minute, young fellow me lad!
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine

British Dictionary definitions for jaw

jaw

noun

the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth. In higher vertebrates it consists of the upper jaw (maxilla) fused to the cranium and the lower jaw (mandible)Related adjectives: gnathal, gnathic

the corresponding part of an invertebrate, esp an insect

a pair or either of a pair of hinged or sliding components of a machine or tool designed to grip an object

slang

impudent talk; cheek
idle conversation; chat
moralizing talk; a lecture

verb

(intr) slang

to talk idly; chat; gossip
to lecture

Word Origin for jaw

C14: probably from Old French joue cheek; related to Italian gota cheek

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

Word Origin and History for jaw

late 14c., "the bones of the mouth," perhaps from Old French joue "cheek," from Gaulish *gauta "cheek," or perhaps a variant of Germanic words related to chew (q.v.); cf. also jowl. Replaced Old English ceace, ceafl.

1610s, "to catch in the jaws, devour," from jaw (n.). In slang from 1748, "to gossip, to speak" 1810, "to scold." Related: Jawed; jawing. Hence 19c. U.S. slang jawsmith "talkative person" (1887).

jaw in Medicine

jaw

[jô]

n.

Either of two bony structures that form the framework of the mouth and hold the teeth.

The mandible or maxilla or the part of the face covering these bones.

Related formsjaw′less adj.

jaw in Science

jaw

[jô]

Either of two bony or cartilaginous structures that in most vertebrate animals form the framework of the mouth, hold the teeth, and are used for biting and chewing food. The lower, movable part of the jaw is the mandible. The upper, fixed part is the maxilla.

Any of various structures of invertebrate animals, such as the pincers of spiders or mites, that function similarly to the jaws of vertebrates.