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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

See Examples For:

jay Jay

“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

A blue jay swooped in front of them and started Joe Joe jabbering.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared before the Judiciary Committee to secure the gig officially, while Jay Clayton appeared before the Intelligence Committee in his bid to be director of national intelligence.

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026

“We know the administration has a stated goal of lowering long term rates,” said Jay Barry, head of global rates strategy at JPMorgan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

That’s according to data compiled by University of Florida finance professor Jay Ritter.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

In a rare show of division, fellow 9th Circuit Judge Jay Bybee, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote a lengthy statement urging the appellate court to review the Oregon decision with a larger panel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

“Or an L, elevated trains like in Chicago,” Jay tells a skeptical Kelvin.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes