jay

¹

[ jey ]

noun

1. any of several noisy, vivacious birds of the crow family, subfamily Garrulinae, as the crested Garrulus glandarius, of the Old World, having brownish plumage with blue, black, and white barring on the wings. Compare blue jay, gray jay.
2. Informal. a simpleminded or gullible person.

jay

²

[ jey ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a marijuana cigarette.

Jay

³

[ jey ]

noun

1. John, 1745–1829, U.S. statesman and jurist: first chief justice of the U.S. 1789–95.
2. a male given name.

Jay

¹

/ dʒeɪ /

noun

1. JayJohn17451829MUSPOLITICS: statesmanLAW: juristPOLITICS: diplomat John 1745–1829, American statesman, jurist, and diplomat; first chief justice of the Supreme Court (1789–95). He negotiated the treaty with Great Britain ( Jay's treaty , 1794), that settled outstanding disputes

jay

²

/ dʒeɪ /

noun

1. See blue jay
   any of various passerine birds of the family Corvidae (crows), esp the Eurasian Garrulus glandarius, with a pinkish-brown body, blue-and-black wings, and a black-and-white crest See also blue jay
2. a foolish or gullible person

Word History and Origins

Origin of jay¹

1275–35; Middle English jai < Middle French < Late Latin gāius, gāia, perhaps after Latin Gāius man's name

Origin of jay²

First recorded in 1965–70; probably spelling of initial consonant of joint, perhaps suggested by pig Latin version ointjay

Word History and Origins

Origin of jay¹

C13: from Old French jai, from Late Latin gāius, perhaps from proper name Gāius

Example Sentences

There just wasn’t anything Jay wouldn’t do to make things work.

From Washington Post

Jay played two seasons for Linn and, after graduating, became a volunteer assistant and then a full-time assistant before going to work in the business office.

From Washington Post

Jay assigned himself the Eastern Circuit, which included his home state of New York, Roberts wrote.

From Washington Post

There were no cases to hear, so Jay and a colleague began circuit-riding, traveling around the young country to hear cases in lower courts.

From Washington Post

According to Jay, fat reduction has more to do with your meals than your workouts.

From Washington Post

Some of the things that Jay lied about to the cops actually make a ton of sense.

From The Daily Beast

Jay is hard to empathize with and his silence suggests that, yeah, something is up.

From The Daily Beast

Adnan is far more likeable than Jay because we hear directly from him.

From The Daily Beast

That explanation is believable…but increasingly less so when you hear Jay talk about the nature of his relationship with Adnan.

From The Daily Beast

In all fairness to Jay, he told The Intercept that he never expected to be a major figure in Serial.

From The Daily Beast

The local name "Geai" may perhaps have misled him as to the occasional appearance of the Jay.

From Project Gutenberg

It would give every jay legisature a show to rough the railroads beautifully.

From Project Gutenberg

The names Jay, Peacock, and Parrott point to showiness and pride and empty talkativeness.

From Project Gutenberg

The Jews are no more God's chosen people than the jay is his chosen bird, or the mosquito his chosen insect.

From Project Gutenberg

Jay staggered back against the wall, then collapsed to the floor.

From Project Gutenberg