/ dʒest; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
( old-fashioned or formal ) something said or done to amuse people
SYN joke
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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 ]
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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.).