jaw
/d͡ʒɔː/ noun, verb
Forms jaws jawing jawed
- noun One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth.
- noun The part of the face below the mouth. “His jaw dropped in amazement.”
- noun (figuratively, especially in the plural) Anything resembling the jaw (sense 1) of an animal in form or action; the mouth or way of entrance. “the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death.”
- noun A notch or opening.
- noun A notched or forked part, adapted for holding an object in place. “the jaw of a railway-car pedestal.”
- noun One of a pair of opposing parts which are movable towards or from each other, for grasping or crushing anything between them. “the jaws of a vise; the jaws of a stone-crushing machine.”
- noun (nautical) The inner end of a boom or gaff, hollowed in a half circle so as to move freely on a mast.
- noun (slang, dated) Impudent, abusive, or worthless talk.
- verb (transitive) To assail or abuse by scolding.
- verb (intransitive) To scold; to clamor.
- verb (intransitive, informal) To talk; to converse.
- verb (snooker, transitive, intransitive) (of a ball) To stick in the jaws of a pocket.
- verb (Scotland, transitive) To pour or throw out.
- verb (Scotland, transitive, of water) To splash; to surge.
- noun (Scotland, Northern England) A wave, a billow, a breaker.
- noun (Scotland, Northern England) A dash or spurt of water; any large quantity of water or other liquid.
Synonyms
chat discourse parley common confab confabulate conversate converse convo treat word chew the fat shoot the breeze chitchat chit-chat chatter chaffer natter gossip claver visit yack yack away rattle on yap away chew masticate manducate call on the carpet take to task
Etymology
From Middle English jawe/jowe (“jaw; sides of the lower face”, 14th century), the further origin of which is disputed. Either:
* From Anglo-Norman jowe, from Old French joe (“cheek; jaw”), from Vulgar Latin *ga(v)ota (“cheek”), of uncertain further origin.
** It has been objected that the rhyming of jowe (“jaw”) with clowe (“claw”) in Middle English demonstrates that it did not have the vowel /uː/. This would be a concern if /uː/ were the vowel to expect from a borrowing of the Old French word, which it is not. Compare English paw < Middle English pawe/powe < Anglo-Norman powe < Old French poe.
* From Middle English *chowe, from Old English *ċēowe. The main difficulties with this theory are the notable lack of evidence and the late attestation of chaw (early 16th century). If it is correct, then the further origin would be Proto-West Germanic *keuwā (“jaw”), whence Saterland Frisian Kiuwe, Dutch kieuw, German Keu, Käu. For the initial consonant, compare jowl as a variant of chavel/chawl.
It is also conceivable that the word is a merger of two coincidentally similar sources. Gradually displaced Middle English chavel (from Old English ċeafl).
Uncertain. Attested since 1513 (as a verb and noun) in Scots. The DSL speculates that it might be related to Scots (and Northern English dialectal) jall, joll "knock, bump; toll (a bell)" via the notion of knocking "one thing against another, as waves on a rock". The EDD compares Old Norse jaga (“move to and fro”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun (a) One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth.
- noun Fig.: Anything resembling the jaw of an animal in form or action; esp., pl., the mouth or way of entrance; as, the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death. Shak.
- verb To scold; to clamor. [Law] Smollett.
- verb To assail or abuse by scolding. [Law]
Etymology [A modification of chaw, formed under the influence of F. joue the cheek. See Chaw, Chew.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “jaw”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details