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• jay
  jay

  noun

  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.
• Jay
  Jay

  noun

  John, 1745–1829, U.S. statesman and jurist: first chief justice of the U.S. 1789–95.

jay

¹ American  

[jey] / dʒeɪ /

noun

1. 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.

2. Informal. a simpleminded or gullible person.

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jay ² American  

[jey] / dʒeɪ /

noun

Slang.

1. a marijuana cigarette.

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Jay ³ American  

[jey] / dʒeɪ /

noun

1. John, 1745–1829, U.S. statesman and jurist: first chief justice of the U.S. 1789–95.

2. a male given name.

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jay ¹ British  

/ dʒeɪ /

noun

1. 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

2. a foolish or gullible person

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Jay ² British  

/ dʒeɪ /

noun

1. John 1745–1829, American statesman, jurist, and diplomat; first chief justice of the Supreme Court (1789–95). He negotiated the treaty with Great Britain ( Jay's treaty , 1794), that settled outstanding disputes

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Etymology

Origin of jay¹

1275–35; Middle English jai < Middle French < Late Latin gāius, gāia, perhaps after Latin Gāius man's name

Origin of jay²

First recorded in 1965–70; probably spelling of initial consonant of joint, perhaps suggested by pig Latin version ointjay

Example Sentences

JAY ELLIS: That is part of the reason this show never felt like a burden.

From New York Times • Oct. 15, 2021

MY DAD, JAY BERGER, played pro tennis for several years in the late 1980s.

From Golf Digest • Apr. 13, 2018

JAY KAPLAN, Cofounder, Synack Kaplan and Mark Kuhr, both 28, spent four years in offensive security at NSA’s counterterrorism division, hacking around for weak spots and finding plenty to exploit.

From Forbes • Sep. 10, 2014

JAY, Fla. — Before he went to jail, Danny Ivey had barely seen a backyard garden.

From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2011

A JAY venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk, found there a number of feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks when they were moulting.

From The Junior Classics — Volume 1 by Patten, William