n. & v.
n. 1 a a thing said or done to excite laughter. b a witticism or jest. 2 a ridiculous thing, person, or circumstance.
v. 1 intr. make jokes. 2 tr. poke fun at; banter. no joke colloq. a serious matter. jokingly adv. joky adj. (also jokey). jokily adv. jokiness n.
[ 17th c. (joque), orig. sl.: perh. f. L jocus jest ]