jawbone

American  

[jaw-bohn] / ˈdʒɔˌboʊn /

noun

1. a bone of either jaw; a maxilla or mandible.

2. the bone of the lower jaw; mandible.

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verb (used with or without object)

jawboned, jawboning

1. 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

1. Informal. obtained by or resorting to such a practice.

   jawbone controls.

jawbone British  

/ ˈdʒɔːˌbəʊn /

noun

1. a nontechnical name for mandible maxilla

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verb

1. 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

Other Word Forms

• jawboning
  noun

Etymology

Origin of jawbone

First recorded in 1480–90; jaw ¹ + bone

Explanation

To jawbone is to talk informally. Think "schmooze," "talk up," or "chit chat;" it's a word to use when the act of talking is more important than what's being talked about. In a financial or political context, jawboning is a form of persuasion. When Lyndon B. Johnson attempted to jawbone rising interest-rates in 1966, he was attempting to change the behavior of the markets without taking direct action. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats can be seen as jawboning as well, as FDR enlisted support first for New Deal programs and then for the US role in World War II through informal, friendly radio-broadcast "chats."

Example Sentences

A fragment of a jawbone found deep underground in a cave in Somerset has rewritten the story of when and how dogs became our best friends.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Titanium posts will be inserted into his jawbone, serving as new roots for the teeth.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

The jawbone looked reptilian but had teeth resembling those of dinosaurs.

From Science Daily • Nov. 15, 2025

Another excavation by the researchers in June 2023 -- of an 8,100-year-old canine jawbone at a nearby site called Hollembaek Hill, south of Delta Junction -- also shows signs of possible domestication.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

The noise is deafening, and my jawbone bangs rhythmically on the iron edging.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• admonish
• berate
• castigate
• censure
• chide
• go after
• oppose
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold
• upbraid