jiffy

[jif-ee]

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noun, plural jif·fies. Informal.

a very short time; moment: to get dressed in a jiffy.

Also jiff [jif] /dʒɪf/.

Origin of jiffy

First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain

Synonyms for jiffy

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instant, flash, second, trice.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for jiff

breathing, burst, crack, instant, jiffy, minute, moment, outburst, second, shake, show, twinkle, twinkling, wink, trice

Examples from the Web for jiff

Historical Examples of jiff

You go an' wash your 'ands, an' I'll 'ave your dinner up in 'alf a jiff!
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine
"Begorra, but ye are right, Jiff," was the hearty response of the Irishman.
Klondike Nuggets
E. S. Ellis
Mrs. Jiff always “forgot to bring” her own comb and hair brush.
Ruth Hall
Fanny Fern
I'll be back in a jiff, and supper'll be ready's soon I can git it.
The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell
L. P. Wyman
“Some of the hands would like to see you for half a jiff, Mr. Wade,” said he.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 09, No. 51, January, 1862
Various

British Dictionary definitions for jiff

jiffy

jiff (dʒɪf)

noun plural jiffies or jiffs

informal a very short timewait a jiffy

Word Origin for jiffy

C18: of unknown origin

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

Word Origin and History for jiff

1797, short for jiffy.

jiffy

1785, "a moment, an instant," colloquial, origin unknown; said to be originally thieves' slang for "lightning."

Idioms and Phrases with jiff

jiffy

see under in a flash.