john

[ jon ]

/ dʒɒn /

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noun Slang.

a toilet or bathroom.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a fellow; guy.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a prostitute's customer.

Also called john mule . a male mule, or more properly a gelded mule.Compare horse mule.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of john

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Johan, Iohan, John; generic use of the proper name

Words nearby john

johannes, Johannesburg, Johannes Damascenus, Johannine, Johannsen, john, John Barleycorn, John Bircher, John Birch Society, johnboat, John Brown's Body

Other definitions for john (2 of 2)

John

[ jon ]

/ dʒɒn /

noun

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.

Elton Reginald Kenneth Dwight, born 1947, English rock singer, pianist, and songwriter.

the fourth Gospel.

any of the three Epistles of John: 1, 2, or 3 John.

a male given name.

Origin of John

Middle English John, Johan, Jon, from Medieval Latin Jō(h)annēs, from Greek Iōánnēs, from Hebrew Yōhānān, derivative of Yehōhānān “God has been gracious”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use john in a sentence

In this new role, John joins the editorial leadership team helping guide our overall strategy and coverage across all platforms.
Welcoming John Simons as Executive Editor|TIME PR|February 16, 2021|Time
In the seasons of John’s life, this should be a time of laughing and dancing and continued traveling, after he waited for Cindi to finally retire.
900,000 infected. Nearly 15,000 dead. How the coronavirus tore through D.C., Maryland and Virginia.|Rebecca Tan, Antonio Olivo, John D. Harden|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
John said, “She told me that thinking about it gives her a pit in her stomach.”
A Woman With Developmental Disabilities Was Abused in Arizona. The State Promised Changes. It Has Not Made Them Yet.|by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star|January 20, 2021|ProPublica
I realized if I wrote a book about John, I could also write a book about the war.
Neil Sheehan, N.Y. Times reporter who obtained Pentagon Papers and chronicled ‘Bright Shining Lie’ of Vietnam, dies at 84|Harrison Smith|January 7, 2021|Washington Post

I have no way of getting in touch with John, he’s on his boat for the weekend.
How Often Does the Joker Have the Last Laugh?|Eugene Robinson|January 7, 2021|Ozy
A few years back, designer John Galliano was fined by the government for sharing just such anti-semitic sentiments in public.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
NEW ORLEANS — John Boehner was reelected House Speaker yesterday by his Republican colleagues despite some dissenting members.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And similar shards of enthusiasm-killing kryptonite are lodged in John Kasich, Mike Pence and Ted Cruz.
Why This Liberal Hearts Huckabee|Sally Kohn|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As it currently stands, the Via Dolorosa follows the account given in the Gospel of John.
Oops! Jesus’ Last Steps Are in the Wrong Place|Candida Moss|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
By contrast, John McCain, the eventual GOP nominee, had raised approximately $12.7 million in the first quarter of 2007 alone.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After all, may not even John Burns be human; may not Mr. Chamberlain himself have a heart that can feel for another?
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Hamo in alluding to the early cultivation of tobacco by the colony, says, that John Rolfe was the pioneer tobacco planter.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
John Wilson, a celebrated landscape and marine painter, died at Folkstone, aged 81.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
John Thornton Kirkland, president of Harvard university, died, aged 70.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
John was baptizing at a large pool called Ænon-by-Saleim,—probably allegorical, meaning “Fountain of Repose.”
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway

British Dictionary definitions for john (1 of 2)

john

/ (dʒɒn) /

noun

mainly US and Canadian a slang word for lavatory (def. 1)

slang, mainly US a prostitute's client

Australian slang short for John Hop

Word Origin for john

C20: special use of the proper name

British Dictionary definitions for john (2 of 2)

John

/ (dʒɒn) /

noun

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

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

john

Origin of john

Words nearby john

Other definitions for john (2 of 2)

Origin of John

Words related to john

How to use john in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for john (1 of 2)

Word Origin for john

British Dictionary definitions for john (2 of 2)