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558 entries found
jardiniere (n.)

ornamental flower stand, 1841, from French jardinière "flower pot" (also "female gardener, gardener's wife"), noun use of fem. of adjective jardinier "of the garden," from jardin "garden; orchard; palace grounds," from Vulgar Latin *hortus gardinus "enclosed garden," via Frankish *gardo or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *gardaz, from PIE root *gher- (1) "to grasp, enclose."

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jargon (n.)
mid-14c., "unintelligible talk, gibberish; chattering, jabbering," from Old French jargon "a chattering" (of birds), also "language, speech," especially "idle talk; thieves' Latin" (12c.). Ultimately of echoic origin (compare Latin garrire "to chatter").

From 1640s as "mixed speech, pigin;" 1650s as "phraseology peculiar to a sect or profession," hence "mode of speech full of unfamiliar terms." Middle English also had it as a verb, jargounen "to chatter" (late 14c.), from French.
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jarhead (n.)
also jar-head, "U.S. Marine," by 1985 (but in a biographical book with a World War II setting), from jar + head (n.). Also used as a general term of insult (by 1979) and by 1922 as a Georgia dialectal word for "mule."
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jarl (n.)
"nobleman," especially a Norse or Danish chieftain, from Old Norse jarl (see earl).
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jarring (adj.)
"having a sharp, unpleasant effect," 1550s, present-participle adjective from jar (v.). Related: Jarringly.
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jasmine (n.)
1570s, from French jasmin (Middle French jessemin, 16c.), from Arabic yas(a)min, from Persian yasmin (compare Greek iasme, iasmelaion, name of a Persian perfume which was perhaps oil of jasmine). The plant first was grown in England 16c. The forms in other Germanic languages also are from French.
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Jason 
masc. proper name, from Greek Eason, from Hebrew Yehoshua, a common name among Hellenistic Jews (see Joshua). In Greek mythology, son of Aeson, leader of the Argonauts, from Latin Jason, from Greek Iason, perhaps related to iasthai "to heal" (see -iatric). The names were somewhat merged in Christian Greek.
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Jasper 
masc. proper name, English form of Caspar or of Gaspar, the traditional name of one of the Three Kings. Said by Klein to be of Persian origin and meaning literally "treasure-holder." Used from 1896 for "a rustic simpleton."
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jasper (n.)
precious stone, c. 1300, from Anglo-French jaspre, Old French jaspre, with unetymological -r-, a variant of jaspe (12c.), from Latin iaspidem (nominative iaspis), from Greek iaspis "jasper," via an Oriental language (compare Hebrew yashpeh, Akkadian yashupu). The modern use of the word is more restricted than in ancient times. Hence, from French, jaspé (1851 in English) "mottled or variegated like jasper."
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jaundice (n.)
"morbid condition characterized by yellowish skin and eyes (caused by bile pigments in the blood)," c. 1300, jaunis, from Old French jaunice, earlier jalnice, "yellowness" (12c.), from jaune/jalne "yellow," from Latin galbinus "greenish yellow" (also source of Italian giallo), extended form of galbus, which probably is from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine," with derivatives denoting "green" and "yellow." With unetymological -d- (compare sound (n.1)).

Figurative meaning "feeling in which views are colored or distorted" first recorded 1620s, from yellow's association with bitterness and envy (see yellow (adj.)). In Old English geolu adl "yellow sickness;" in Middle English also gulesought.
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