J to Jackknife

J
(J) J is the tenth letter of the English alphabet. It is a later variant form of the Roman letter I, used to express a consonantal sound, that is, originally, the sound of English y in yet. The forms J and I have, until a recent time, been classed together, and they have been used interchangeably.

In medical prescriptions j is still used in place of i at the end of a number, as a Roman numeral; as, vj, xij.

J is etymologically most closely related to i, y, g; as in jot, iota; jest, gesture; join, jugular, yoke. See I.

J is a compound vocal consonant, nearly equivalent in sound to dzh. It is exactly the same as g in gem. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 179, 211, 239.

Jaal goat
(Jaal" goat`) (Zoöl.) A species of wild goat (Capra Nubiana) found in the mountains of Abyssinia, Upper Egypt, and Arabia; — called also beden, and jaela.

Jab
(Jab) v. t. [Cf. Job.] To thrust; to stab; to punch. See Job, v. t. [Scot. & Colloq. U. S.]

Jab
(Jab), n. A thrust or stab. [Scot. & Colloq. U. S.]

Jabber
(Jab"ber) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Jabbered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Jabbering.] [Cf. Gibber, Gabble.] To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense; to chatter. Swift.

Jabber
(Jab"ber), v. t. To utter rapidly or indistinctly; to gabble; as, to jabber French. Addison.

Jabber
(Jab"ber), n. Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish. Swift.

Jabberer
(Jab"ber*er) n. One who jabbers.

Jabberingly
(Jab"ber*ing*ly), adv. In a jabbering manner.

Jabberment
(Jab"ber*ment) n. Jabber. [R.] Milton.

Jabbernowl
(Jab"ber*nowl`) n. Same as Jobbernowl.

Jabiru
(Jab"i*ru) n. [Braz. jabirú, jaburú.] (Zoöl.) One of several large wading birds of the genera Mycteria and Xenorhynchus, allied to the storks in form and habits.

The American jabiru (Mycteria Americana) is white, with the head and neck black and nearly bare of feathers. The East Indian and Australian (Xenorhynchus Australis) has the neck, head, and back covered with glossy, dark green feathers, changing on the head to purple. The African jabiru (Mycteria, or Ephippiorhynchus, Senegalensis) has the neck, head, wing coverts, and tail, black, and is called also saddle-billed stork.

Jaborandi
(Jab`o*ran"di) n. (Bot.) The native name of a South American rutaceous shrub The leaves are used in medicine as an diaphoretic and sialogogue.

Jaborine
(Jab"o*rine) n. [From Jaborandi.] (Chem.) An alkaloid found in jaborandi leaves, from which it is extracted as a white amorphous substance. In its action it resembles atropine.

Jabot
(||Jab"ot) n. [F.]

1. Originally, a kind of ruffle worn by men on the bosom of the shirt.

2. An arrangement of lace or tulle, looped ornamentally, and worn by women on the front of the dress.


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