Jeff

[ jef ]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Jeffrey.

jeff

/ dʒɛf /

verb

1. to downsize or close down (an organization)
2. to reduce (staff numbers) or dismiss (an employee)
3. to spoil or destroy ruthlessly

Word History and Origins

Origin of Jeff¹

C20: named after Jeff Kennett, former premier of the state of Victoria, Australia

Example Sentences

When the authors Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann interviewed Immelt’s former co-workers, those colleagues would routinely start by saying “Jeff is a friend, but …” — and then they’d lay into him for all the bad things that happened on his watch.

From Freakonomics

Jeff is going to remain with Amazon in a very important role as executive chair.

From Washington Post

Another company looking to turn low-key space missions into a business is Blue Origin, a Jeff Bezos venture funded in part through the sale of his Amazon stock holdings.

From Popular-Science

Brown-Powers was at the clinic the morning that Jim’s brother, Jeff, came to collect the car.

From ProPublica

So I thought that maybe Jeff was starting to support our team and support the kinds of stuff we were doing.

From MIT Technology Review

At 1:42 a.m., a commenter bluntly asked: “Jeff, Is it true you are a convicted sex offender?”

From The Daily Beast

Brother Victor had taught my brother, Jeff, the previous year with far greater success.

From The Daily Beast

Get ready to bid farewell to the spitfire Bobby Bottleservice and big booty player Ref Jeff.

From The Daily Beast

Now Jeff Bezos has focused his sights on populating distant galaxies.

From The Daily Beast

But Jeff, who began his foray into pot gastronomy as a hobby, is rapidly turning it into a full-time pot-repreneurial business.

From The Daily Beast

I ain't a gwine ter back daown naow; but I dew jest wish Jeff Hyer wuz along.

From Project Gutenberg

Yes, that was Jeff Weedham at the wheel, and beside him were two other young people—a girl and a redheaded man.

From Project Gutenberg

But momentum was sufficient to carry Jeff Weedham's roadster out onto the road.

From Project Gutenberg

With that in mind, he parked Jeff Weedham's car and stepped out into the rain, his black cape wrapped around him.

From Project Gutenberg

Jeff Weedham is going to have to pull something pretty soon to pick up circulation.

From Project Gutenberg