john
[jon]
- a toilet or bathroom.
- (sometimes initial capital letter) a fellow; guy.
- (sometimes initial capital letter) a prostitute's customer.
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Origin of john
generic use of the proper name
John
[jon]
- the apostle John, believed to be the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation.
- John the Baptist.
- John Lackland, 1167?–1216, king of England 1199–1216; signer of the Magna Carta 1215 (son of Henry II of England).
- Augustus Edwin,1878–1961, British painter and etcher.
- EltonReginald Kenneth Dwight, born 1947, English rock singer, pianist, and songwriter.
- the fourth Gospel.
- any of the three Epistles of John: I, II, or III John.
- a male given name.
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Origin of John
Middle English John, Johan, Jon < Medieval Latin Jō(h)annēs < Greek Iōánnēs < Hebrew Yōhānān, derivative of Yehōhānān God has been gracious
Barleycorn
[bahr-lee-kawrn]
- John. John Barleycorn.
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John I
- Saint,died a.d. 526, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 523–526.
- the Great, 1357–1433, king of Portugal 1385–1433.
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John II
- Mercurius, died a.d. 535, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 533–535.
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John III
- Catelinus, died a.d. 574, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 561–574.
- John Sobieski, 1624–96, king of Poland 1674–96.
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John IV
- died a.d. 642, pope 640–642.
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John V
- died a.d. 686, pope 685–686.
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John VI
- died a.d. 705, Greek ecclesiastic: pope 701–705.
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John VII
- died a.d. 707, Greek ecclesiastic: pope 705–707.
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John VIII
- died a.d. 882, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 872–882.
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John IX
- died a.d. 900, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 898–900.
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John X
- died a.d. 929?, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 914–928.
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John XI
- died a.d. 936, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 931–936.
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John XII
- Octavian, died a.d. 964, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 955–964.
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John XIII
- died a.d. 972, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 965–972.
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John XIV
- died a.d. 984, pope 983–984.
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John XV
- died a.d. 996, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 985–996.
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John XVII
- Sicco, died 1003, pope 1003.
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John XVIII
- Fasanus, died 1009, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1003–09.
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John XIX
- died 1032, pope 1024–32.
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John XXI
- Petrus Hispanus, died 1277, Portuguese ecclesiastic: pope 1276–77.
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John XXII
- Jacques Duèse, c1244–1334, French ecclesiastic: pope 1316–34.
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John XXIII
- Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, 1881–1963, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 1958–63.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
toilet, latrine, outhouse, lavatory, urinal, bathroom, restroom, pot, head, privy, washroom, john, throne, commode, can, W.C., potty, johnny, sandboxExamples from the Web for john
Contemporary Examples
A few years back, designer John Galliano was fined by the government for sharing just such anti-semitic sentiments in public.
NEW ORLEANS — John Boehner was reelected House Speaker yesterday by his Republican colleagues despite some dissenting members.
And similar shards of enthusiasm-killing kryptonite are lodged in John Kasich, Mike Pence and Ted Cruz.
As it currently stands, the Via Dolorosa follows the account given in the Gospel of John.
By contrast, John McCain, the eventual GOP nominee, had raised approximately $12.7 million in the first quarter of 2007 alone.
Historical Examples
John made a helpless gesture, and at a renewed call, went indoors.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
John had been under her dominion, and proceeded to persuade her.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
Sir John, however, insisted that they should all be ordered back again.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
Friends were there asking after their own Will, or John, or Thomas, as the case might be.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
There is a reference to “pen and ink” in the 3d Epistle of John xiii.
The Story of the Invention of Steel PensHenry Bore
john
- mainly US and Canadian a slang word for lavatory (def. 1)
- slang, mainly US a prostitute's client
- Australian slang short for John Hop
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Word Origin
C20: special use of the proper name
John
- New Testament
- the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, identified with the author of the fourth Gospel, three epistles, and the book of Revelation. Feast day: Dec 27 or Sept 26
- the fourth Gospel
- any of three epistles (in full The First, Second, and Third Epistles of John)
- See John the Baptist
- known as John Lackland. 1167–1216, king of England (1199–1216); son of Henry II. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother Richard I, having previously tried to usurp the throne. War with France led to the loss of most of his French possessions. After his refusal to recognize Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury an interdict was imposed on England (1208–14). In 1215 he was compelled by the barons to grant the Magna Carta
- called the Fearless . 1371–1419, duke of Burgundy (1404–19). His attempt to control the mad king Charles VI and his murder of the king's brother led to civil war: assassinated
- Augustus (Edwin). 1878–1961, British painter, esp of portraits
- Barry born 1945, Welsh Rugby Union footballer: halfback for Wales (1966–72) and the British Lions (1968–71)
- Sir Elton (Hercules). original name Reginald Dwight. born 1947, British rock pianist, composer, and singer; his hits include "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) and "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997), a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales
- Gwen, sister of Augustus John. 1876–1939, British painter, working in France: noted esp for her portraits of women
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barleycorn
- a grain of barley, or barley itself
- an obsolete unit of length equal to one third of an inch
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John I
- surnamed Tzimisces . 925–976 ad, Byzantine emperor (969–976): extended Byzantine power into Bulgaria and Syria
- called the Great. 1357–1433, king of Portugal (1385–1433). He secured independence for Portugal by his victory over Castile (1385) and initiated Portuguese overseas expansion
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John II
- called the Good . 1319–64, king of France (1350–64): captured by the English at Poitiers (1356) and forced to sign treaties (1360) surrendering SW France to England
- called the Perfect . 1455–95, king of Portugal (1481–95): sponsored Portuguese expansion in the New World and reduced the power of the aristocracy
- surnamed Casimir Vasa . 1609–72, king of Poland (1648–68), who lost much territory to neighbouring countries: abdicated
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John III
- 1507–57, king of Portugal (1521–57): his reign saw the expansion of the Portuguese empire overseas but the start of economic decline at home
- surnamed Sobieski. 1624–96, king of Poland (1674–96). He raised the Turkish siege of Vienna (1683)
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John IV
- called the Fortunate . 1604–56, king of Portugal (1640–56). As duke of Braganza he led a revolt against Spanish rule and became king: lost most of Portugal's Asian possessions to the Dutch
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John VI
- ?1769–1826, king of Portugal (1816–26): recognized the independence of Brazil (1825)
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John XXII
- original name Jacques Duèse. ?1244–1334, pope (1316–34), residing at Avignon; involved in a long conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV and opposed the Franciscan Spirituals
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John XXIII
- original name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. 1881–1963, pope (1958–63). He promoted ecumenism and world peace and summoned the second Vatican Council (1962–65)
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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 john
John
masc. proper name, mid-12c., from Medieval Latin Johannes, from Late Latin Joannes, from Greek Ioannes, from Hebrew Yohanan (longer form y'hohanan) literally "Jehovah has favored," from hanan "he was gracious."
As the name of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, it was one of the most common Christian given names, and in England by early 14c. it rivaled William in popularity. The Old French form was Jean, but in England its variants Johan, Jehan yielded Jan, Jen (cf. surname Jensen). Welsh form was Ieuan (see Evan), but Ioan was adopted for the Welsh Authorized Version of the Bible, hence frequency of Jones as a Welsh surname.
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n.
"toilet," 1932, probably from jakes, used for "toilet" since 15c. Meaning "prostitute's customer" is from 1911, probably from the common, and thus anonymous, name by which they identified themselves. Meaning "policeman" is 1858, from shortening of johndarm, jocular anglicization of gendarme.
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barleycorn
n.
late 14c., from barley + corn (n.). Perhaps to distinguish the barley plant or the grain from its products. In Britain and U.S., the grain is used mainly to prepare liquor, hence personification as John Barleycorn (1620) in popular ballad, and many now-obsolete figures of speech, e.g. to wear a barley cap (16c.) "to be drunk."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper