j'ouvert

British

/ ˈʒuːvɛət /

noun

the eve of Mardi gras; the Monday morning on which the festivities begin

"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

Etymology

Origin of j'ouvert

from French jour ouvert the day having been opened

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.

The day began with an explosion of colour as revellers met for J'ouvert at 06:00 BST ahead of the children's parade, with the streets awash with bright paint and powder.

From BBC

J'ouvert, which means "daybreak" or "opening of the day" in French Creole, marks the start of the Carnival celebrations across the Bank Holiday weekend.

From BBC

Cooper, who goes by DJ Foreigner, asked the owner if he could use the space to host a party called “Junkyard Jouvert,” inspired by J’ouvert, a high-energy street party that originated in Trinidad and Tobago where participants throw paint and powder at one another.

From Los Angeles Times

J’ouvert is also the ritualistic opening of Carnival.

From Los Angeles Times

The idea for River came on the same day that the artist received the news of the commission - when he was collecting mud that is used in the rituals of J'Ouvert, the opening day of Trinidad Carnival.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023