jay en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- jā
- /ˈd͡ʒeɪ/
Etymology
From Middle English jay, from Old French jai ("jay"; Modern French geai), either from Late Latin gaius (“jay”), or from Old French gai (“gay, merry”), so named due to its plumage, from Old Frankish *gāhi (“quick, impetuous”), from Proto-Germanic *ganhuz, *ganhwaz (“sudden”), cognate with Dutch gaai (“jay”). More at gay.
Meanings
- Any of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus, Cyanocitta, Aphelocoma, Perisoreus, Cyanocorax, Gymnorhinus, Cyanolyca, Ptilostomus, and Calocitta, allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely coloured, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
- Any of various other birds of similar appearance and behaviour.
-
Any of various other birds of similar appearance and behaviour. ▸ The Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis.
They are the commonality of birddom, who furnish forth the mobs which bewilder the drunken-flighted jay when he jerks, shrieking in a series of blue hyphen-flashes through the air […]
1878, Philip Stewart Robinson, In My Indian Garden:
- Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium.
-
(archaic) A dull or ignorant person. It survives today in the term jaywalking.
Burlington Bertie's the latest young jay He rents a swell flat somewhere Kensington way He spends the good oof that his pater has made Along with the Brandy and Soda Brigade.
1900, Harry B. Norris, “Burlington Bertie”:
-
(obsolete) Promiscuous woman; prostitute.
Some jay of Italy, / Whose mother was her painting, hath betray'd him:
a. 1611, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, act 3, scene 4, lines 50–51:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| jays | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
green jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · jay-walker (Other terms with "jay") · jaylike (terms derived from jay (bird)) · jaywalker (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Canada jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · scrub jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · blue jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · long-crested jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · grey jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · grue jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Steller's jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · va-jay-jay (Other terms with "jay") · Oregon jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · naked as a jay (Other terms with "jay") · piñon jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · jaybird (terms derived from jay (bird)) · naked as a jay-bird (terms derived from jay (bird)) · bluejay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Eurasian jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · jay thrush (terms derived from jay (bird)) · blue-fronted jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · San Blas jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · pinyon jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · magpie-jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Labrador jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · jaywalk (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Siberian jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Florida jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Sichuan jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · azure jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · Florida scrub jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · sing-jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · California jay (terms derived from jay (bird)) · naked as a jay bird (terms derived from jay (bird))
Hyponyms
gray jay (bird) · American jay (bird) · Old World jay (bird)
Relateds
Synonyms
k (bird) · ignoramus (ignorant person) · bluejay (bird) · kae (bird) · Jenny jay (bird) · whisky jack (bird) · prostitute · promiscuous woman (promiscuous woman) · jay pie (bird)
Translations (97)
ja カケス (bird) · fo gnelliskjóra (bird) · nl gaai (bird) · dsb kabeja (bird) · ar زُرَيْق (bird) · da skovskade (bird) · mhr купшӱльӧ (bird) · fr geai (bird) · nb nøtteskrike (bird) · de Häher (bird) · de Häherweibchen (bird) · sc mariabiga (bird) · nv joogii (bird) · fi närhi (bird) · sq grifshë (bird) · de Hähermännchen (bird) · gl gaio (bird) · mt sultan iċ-ċawl (bird) · hsb škrěkawa (bird) · fur gjaie (bird) · grc κίσσα (bird) · ja 懸巣 (bird) · mk сојка (bird) · sv skrika (bird) · cmn 松鴉 /松鸦 (bird) · ja 橿鳥 (bird) · sk sojka (bird) · io jeo (bird) · gd sgreuchag (bird) · oc gag (bird) · sl šoja (bird) · es urraca (bird) · kk қарға (bird) · eu eskinoso (bird) · gd sgreuchan-coille (bird) · fur badascule (bird) · nrf geai (bird) · es grajilla (bird) · yue 橿鳥 /橿鸟 (bird) · tr alakarga (bird) · gl pega rebordá (bird) · ka ჩხიკვი (bird) · lv sīlis (bird) · nn nøtteskrikje (bird) · it ghiandaia (bird) · mn ятга шаазгай (bird) · la garrulus (bird) · sh шојка (bird) · rm sgragia (bird) · nl Vlaamse gaai (bird) · sh šojka (bird) · yue 松鴉 /松鸦 (bird) · lt kėkštas (bird) · sh креjа (bird) · et pasknäär (bird) · sh kreja (bird) · sh сoјка (bird) · nv tʼádootłʼizhii (bird) · pt gaio (bird) · sh sojka (bird) · cs sojka (bird) · be сойка (bird) · br kegin (bird) · sc piga (bird) · es arrendajo (bird) · gl pega marxa (bird) · cy sgrech (bird) · sq grizhlemzë (bird) · fy houtekster (bird) · sc marabiga (bird) · la gaius (bird) · sc melapica (bird) · ca gaig (bird) · uk сойка (bird) · ja 鵥 (bird) · pl sójka (bird) · an gai (bird) · ga scréachóg (bird) · hu szajkó (bird) · ota آلا قارغه (bird) · hy ճայ (bird) · cmn 橿鳥 /橿鸟 (bird) · lld gacia (bird) · is skrækskaði (bird) · he עורבני (bird) · tr kestane kargası (bird) · pt gralha (bird) · sv nötskrika (bird) · sc pica (bird) · ru со́йка (bird) · fr geai des chênes (bird) · eo garolo (bird) · se látteguovssat (bird) · hu mátyásmadár (bird) · el κίσσα (bird) · ro gaiță (bird) · bg сойка (bird)