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

Unfortunately, Cain’s Jawbone creates the ultimate challenge for language-analyzing algorithms: the story is not only completely out of order, but also designed to stymie readers.

From Scientific American • Apr. 21, 2023

Over the next month, Jawbone canyon will continue to bloom, featuring “lavender Lacy Phacelia and brilliant yellow desert dandelions,” per the parks department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2023

It was against that backdrop that a lightning strike sparked the Beachie Creek fire in mid-August 2020 near an old mining outpost known as Jawbone Flats.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2022

That’s thanks to famed Swiss designer Yves Béhar, who made his mark designing iconic objects for Jawbone, Herman Miller, General Electric, and Puma, among many others.

From The Verge • Sep. 23, 2021

Jawbone continued to blast us with that deep groaning bellow.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

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