jaw
1[ jaw ]
/ dʒɔ /
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noun
verb (used without object)
Slang.
- to talk; chat; gossip.
- to scold or use abusive language.
verb (used with object)
Slang. to scold.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of jaw
11325–75; Middle English jawe, jowe<Old French joue; origin uncertain
OTHER WORDS FROM jaw
jawless, adjectiveWords nearby jaw
javelina, javelin fish, Javelle water, Javel water, Javits, jaw, jawan, Jawara, jawbone, jawbreaker, jaw-dropping
Definition for jaw (2 of 2)
jaw2
[ jaw ]
/ dʒɔ /
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
2First recorded in 1505–15; perhaps akin to jaup
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for jaw
British Dictionary definitions for jaw
jaw
/ (dʒɔː) /
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
See also jaws
Derived forms of jaw
jawlike, adjectiveWord Origin for jaw
C14: probably from Old French joue cheek; related to Italian gota cheek
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medical definitions for jaw
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.
Other words from jaw
jaw′less adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for jaw
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.