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.
Last September, Rep. Mooney, of the Keys, introduced his bill in support of the flamingo and the scrub jay.
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
The UC study found that male spiders become motionless and "freeze" when a blue jay calls nearby.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 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
It was Haughey who ultimately struck the winning penalty to send the hosts through, yet it was goalkeeper Jay Lynch who tipped the shootout in their favour.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Jay Harris, a professor of Jewish Studies, has been teaching Hum 10 since 2015.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
It’s also a media hub with offices and studios for businesses including Sirius XM, Spotify, Sony Music Publishing and Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Schwartz has only been CDC director since August, replacing acting director Jay Bhattacharya.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
Borrowing Jamie’s gloves, I hold the belay line—letting out slack as Jay rises, ready to snap it back if his legs slip or his grip fails.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
