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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

This is illustrated in the chart above, which plots data from Jay Ritter, a University of Florida finance professor who has compiled the premier academic database of U.S.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

Harel cleared 6-9 on his third attempt to stay alive but still trailed Jay Woodson of American Canyon on misses until the bar was raised to 6-11.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Just 90 companies went public in the U.S. in 2025, according to data from University of Florida professor Jay Ritter.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

“This could prove to be important, especially in patients who benefit from decades of improving other risk-factor management,” said Jay Bradner, Amgen’s executive vice president for research and development.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Jay wanted to see the drawing rolled up in Barry’s hands.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis