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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

by Jove en · INTJ

Etymology

From Latin pro Iovem. Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by Jove that…" Originally a literal oath; later a minced oath.

Meanings

  1. (obsolete, qualifier:Classics) Invocation of the Roman god Jupiter.
    • By Joves help I'l^([sic]) be there. a. 1639, John Webster, Appius and Virginia, London: printed for Humphrey Moseley, published 1659, act 3, scene 1, page 38:
    • By Jove, master marchant, by sea or by land / Would get but smale argent if I did not stand / His very good master, I may say to you, / When he hazards in hope what hap will insue. 1575, “Apius and Virginia”, in Isaac Reed, Octavius Gilchrist, editors, A Select Collection of Old Plays, London: Septimus Prowett, published 1826, page 353:
  2. (British, dated) minced oath for by God, Jove referring to Jupiter.
    • "I was sorry to fire my rifle, but, by Jove! there was no great choice." "We should not be here if you hadn't," said I, with conviction. 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
    • By Jove, I always took three threes for nine. 1623, William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost, act V, scene II:
    • Favours, by Jove that thunders! What art thou, fellow? 1623, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra, act III, scene XIII:
    • "Oh, as to that!"—and Lord Fulkeward roused himself to some faint show of energy. "Who wouldn't admire her? By Jove! Only, I tell you what—there's something weird about her eyes. Fact! I don't like her eyes." 1897, Marie Corelli, “Chapter I”, in Ziska: The Problem of a Wicked Soul, New York: Stone & Kimball, page 30:
    • “By Jove! I’ve left my ulster in the waiting-room,” and hastened off to fetch it. 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 97:
    • Well, I wasn't going to have any of that sort of thing, by Jove! 1916, P. G. Wodehouse, “Jeeves Takes Charge”, in A Wodehouse Miscellany:

Relateds

by Jupiter

Synonyms

wow

Translations (10)

de potzblitz (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · ga dar Donn (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · de potztausend (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · fr parbleu (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · it per Giove (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · de potz Blitz (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · fr par Jupin (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · kw re Jovyn (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · ga dar lia (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis) · de bei Jupiter (exclamation indicating surprise or emphasis)