any of several noisy, vivacious birds of the crow family, subfamily Garrulinae, as the crested Garrulus glandarius, of the Old World, having brownish plumage with blue, black, and white barring on the wings.
Informal. a simpleminded or gullible person.
John, 1745–1829, U.S. statesman and jurist: first chief justice of the U.S. 1789–95.
a male given name.
any of various passerine birds of the family Corvidae (crows), esp the Eurasian Garrulus glandarius, with a pinkish-brown body, blue-and-black wings, and a black-and-white crest See also blue jay
a foolish or gullible person
1275–35; Middle English jai < Middle French < Late Latin gāius, gāia, perhaps after Latin Gāius man's name
First recorded in 1965–70; probably spelling of initial consonant of joint, perhaps suggested by pig Latin version ointjay
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“This is Florida’s oldest fake news,” said Kris Cole, a retired high-school teacher who helped his students in Seminole County promote the scrub jay for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
"There's a jay ... That's a bluethroat ... Do you see the hen harrier? We're lucky," the 37-year-old photographer told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Warmer temperatures, the scientists hypothesize, make jay nests susceptible to predation by snakes for a longer period of the Florida spring than in the past.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
In downtown Perry, Iowa, on Friday, residents wore blue to support each other, reflecting the school district’s mascot, the blue jay.
From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
He mocked every bird in the Ozark hills; from a redheaded woodpecker to a screaming blue jay.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Stocks plummeted after word leaked that speculator Jay Gould, who was trying to corner the gold market, had sold his stake in the metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Jay Vandegriff, a 69-year-old plaintiff in one of the U.S. lawsuits, started taking Ozempic to treat his Type 2 diabetes in November 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
So the explosion of emotion at the full-time whistle - after Jay Dasilva's goal settled matters - felt like Sky Blue heaven.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Over the next few years, Jay Leno’s Law will phase in smog check exemptions for collector cars built from model years 1976 through 1985 that are not used as a primary mode of transportation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
A smiling, big, heavy woman poked her head out the kitchen door and said, “Are you Jay Berry?”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
