Jervine to Jewish
Jervine
(Jer"vine) n. [Prob. fr. Sp. yerba herb, OSp., the poison of the veratrum.] (Chem.) A poisonous
alkaloid resembling veratrine, and found with it in white hellebore (Veratrum album); — called also jervina.
Jess
(Jess) n.; pl. Jesses [OF. gies, giez, prop. pl. of giet, get, jet, F. jet, a throwing, jess. See
Jet a shooting forth.] (falconry) A short strap of leather or silk secured round the leg of a hawk, to which
the leash or line, wrapped round the falconer's hand, was attached when used. See Illust. of Falcon.
Like a hawk, which feeling freed
From bells and jesses which did let her flight.
Spenser. Jessamine
(Jes"sa*mine) n. (Bot.) Same as Jasmine.
Jessant
(Jes"sant) a. (Her.) Springing up or emerging; — said of a plant or animal.
Jesse
(Jes"se) n. [LL. Jesse, the father of David, fr. Gr. fr. Herb. Yishai.] Any representation or
suggestion of the genealogy of Christ, in decorative art; as: (a) A genealogical tree represented in stained
glass. (b) A candlestick with many branches, each of which bears the name of some one of the descendants
of Jesse; — called also tree of Jesse.
Jesse window (Arch.), a window of which the glazing and tracery represent the tree of Jesse.
Jessed
(Jessed) a. (Her.) Having jesses on, as a hawk.
Jest
(Jest) n. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut.
pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perform; perh. orig., to make to come,
bring, and perh. akin to E. come. Cf. Gest a deed, Register, n.]
1. A deed; an action; a gest. [Obs.]
The jests or actions of princes.
Sir T. Elyot. 2. A mask; a pageant; an interlude. [Obs.] Nares.
He promised us, in honor of our guest,
To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.
Kyd. 3. Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase.
See Synonyms under Jest, v. i.
I must be sad . . . smile at no man's jests.
Shak.
The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his
facts.
Sheridan. 4. The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock.
Then let me be your jest; I deserve it.
Shak. In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest.
And given in earnest what I begged in jest.
Shak. —
Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.
Jest
(Jest), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Jested; p. pr. & vb. n. Jesting.]
1. To take part in a merrymaking; — especially, to act in a mask or interlude. [Obs.] Shak.
