JEST


Meaning of JEST in English

/ dʒest; NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun

( old-fashioned or formal ) something said or done to amuse people

SYN joke

IDIOMS

- in jest

■ verb

( formal or humorous ) jest (about sth) to say things that are not serious or true, especially in order to make sb laugh

SYN joke :

[ v ]

Would I jest about such a thing?

[also v speech ]

••

WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English : from earlier gest , from Old French geste , from Latin gesta actions, exploits, from gerere do. The original sense was exploit, heroic deed , hence a narrative of such deeds (originally in verse); later the term denoted an idle tale, hence a joke (mid 16th cent.).

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.