JOKE


Meaning of JOKE in English

I. ˈjōk noun

Etymology: Latin jocus; perhaps akin to Old High German gehan to say, Sanskrit yācati he asks

Date: 1670

1.

a. : something said or done to provoke laughter ; especially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist

b.

(1) : the humorous or ridiculous element in something

(2) : an instance of jesting : kidding

can't take a joke

c. : practical joke

d. : laughingstock

2. : something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter

consider his skiing a joke — Harold Callender

— often used in negative constructions

it is no joke to be lost in the desert

II. verb

( joked ; jok·ing )

Date: 1670

intransitive verb

: to make jokes : jest

transitive verb

: to make the object of a joke : kid

• jok·ing·ly ˈjō-kiŋ-lē adverb

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.