jester
Americannoun
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a person who is given to witticisms, jokes, and pranks.
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a professional fool or clown, especially at a medieval court.
noun
Etymology
Origin of jester
First recorded in 1325–75, jester is from the Middle English word gester. See gest, -er 1
Explanation
A jester is a joker or clown who performs for an audience. Most jesters worked for English kings' courts during medieval and Tudor times. Back in Shakespeare's day, English royals employed many entertainers who performed plays, songs, and other acts for them. Among these professionals was the jester, whose job was keeping the nobles amused. Some jesters would travel in groups, putting on shows in various cities. Fools and jesters appear in many of Shakespeare's plays. The word was originally spelled gestour, which was defined as "a minstrel or teller of tales." The root is the Anglo-Latin gesten, "recite a tale."
Vocabulary lists containing jester
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We still expect MAS to tighten monetary policy further at the Oct 2026 MPS,” says Jester Koh.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester said in a statement that they were “basic, commonsense protections, and we look forward to fighting for them.”
From Salon • May 30, 2025
Continue on the trail about one-third of a mile toward Jester Mountain, and you’ll find yourself walking among magical larches.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2023
Jester, troubadour, agent provocateur, Serge Gainsbourg rhymed his way through life in a fog of Gitanes smoke, making music of every genre.
From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2023
The Paragon of Mirth & Drollery, or the new Merry Jester, Calculated for the Sons of conviviality, and jocularity.
From A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700 (Vol 3 of 3) Forming a portion of the library of Robert Hoe by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
