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jiffy

[ jif-ee ]
/ ˈdʒɪf i /
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noun, plural jif·fies. Informal.

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

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RELATED WORDS

breath, crack, flash, moment, twinkling, second, shake, minute, trice, jiff

Nearby words

  1. jicarilla,
  2. jictar,
  3. jidda,
  4. jiddah,
  5. jiff,
  6. jiffy bag,
  7. jig,
  8. jig back,
  9. jig is up,
  10. jigaboo
Also jiff [jif] /dʒɪf/.

Origin of jiffy

First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for jiffy

British Dictionary definitions for jiffy

jiffy

jiff (dʒɪf)

/ (ˈdʒɪfɪ) /

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 jiffy

jiffy

n.

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

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with jiffy

jiffy

see under in a flash.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.