jawbone
[ jaw-bohn ]
/ ˈdʒɔˌboʊn /
noun
verb (used with or without object), jaw·boned, jaw·bon·ing.
Informal. to attempt to influence or pressure by persuasion rather than by the exertion of force or one's authority, as in urging voluntary compliance with economic guidelines: The president jawboned the steel industry into postponing price increases.
adjective
Informal. obtained by or resorting to such a practice: jawbone controls.
Nearby words
jaw-breaker, jaw-dropping, jaw-winking syndrome, jawan, jawara, jawbone, jawbreaker, jawed, jawfish, jawlensky, jawless fish
Related formsjaw·bon·ing, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for jawbone
British Dictionary definitions for jawbone
jawbone
/ (ˈdʒɔːˌbəʊn) /
noun
verb
US to try to persuade or bring pressure to bear (on) by virtue of one's high office or position, esp in urging compliance with official policy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for jawbone
jawbone
mid-15c., from jaw (n.) + bone (n.). Hence jawboning "lecturing, hectoring," a term associated with the U.S. Lyndon Johnson presidential administration (1966); cf. jaw (v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for jawbone
jawbone
[ jô′bōn′ ]
n.
The maxilla or, especially, the mandible.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.