jay

[ jey ]

/ dʒeɪ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR jay ON THESAURUS.COM

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.Compare blue jay, gray jay.

Informal. a simpleminded or gullible person.

Nearby words

jawp, jawrope, jaws, jaws of life, jaxartes, jay, jay's treaty, jay, john, jaya, jayapura, jayawardene

Origin of jay

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

Definition for jay (2 of 3)

jay

[ jey ]

/ dʒeɪ /

noun Slang.

a marijuana cigarette.

Origin of jay

1970–75; probably spelling of initial consonant of joint, perhaps suggested by Pig Latin version ointjay

Definition for jay (3 of 3)

Jay

[ jey ]

/ dʒeɪ /

noun

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

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for jay

Some of the things that Jay lied about to the cops actually make a ton of sense.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jay is hard to empathize with and his silence suggests that, yeah, something is up.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Adnan is far more likeable than Jay because we hear directly from him.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That explanation is believable…but increasingly less so when you hear Jay talk about the nature of his relationship with Adnan.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In all fairness to Jay, he told The Intercept that he never expected to be a major figure in Serial.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Burr, in committee, frankly declared that the surplus was to establish a bank, and Governor Jay signed the bill.
The Life of John Marshall Volume 3 of 4|Albert J. Beveridge
Extracts from a letter of Mr Jay relative to the Western boundary.
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. XI|Various
Flora opened her arms for Jay to spring into, which he did with considerable roughness.
Missy|Miriam Coles Harris
The Blue Jay is found over the entire state, and is familiar to everybody.
A Book of Natural History|Various
The indignation was extreme, and only Jay's patriotism and good sense prevented an outbreak.
Gouverneur Morris|Theodore Roosevelt

British Dictionary definitions for jay (1 of 2)

jay

/ (dʒeɪ) /

noun

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 crestSee also blue jay

a foolish or gullible person

Word Origin for jay

C13: from Old French jai, from Late Latin gāius, perhaps from proper name Gāius

British Dictionary definitions for jay (2 of 2)

Jay

/ (dʒeɪ) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012