Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Jest?

\Jest\, n. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perform; perh. orig., to make to come, bring, and perh. akin to E. come. Cf. {Gest} a deed, {Register}, n.] 1. A deed; an action; a gest. [Obs.] The jests or actions of princes. --Sir T. Elyot. 2. A mask; a pageant; an interlude. [Obs.] --Nares. He promised us, in honor of our guest, To grace our banquet with some pompous jest. --Kyd. 3. Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase. See Synonyms under {Jest}, v. i. I must be sad . . . smile at no man's jests. --Shak. The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts. --Sheridan. 4. The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock. Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. --Shak. {In jest}, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. And given in earnest what I begged in jest. --Shak. {Jest book}, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.
\Jest\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Jested}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Jesting}.] 1. To take part in a merrymaking; -- especially, to act in a mask or interlude. [Obs.] --Shak. 2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything. He jests at scars that never felt a wound. --Shak. Syn: To joke; sport; rally. Usage: To {Jest}, {Joke}. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. ``Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest.'' --Crabb.