Jerkin-head Roof. 
jerkin-head 
jerkin-head (j('?r'kin-hed), n. [Appar. with 
soiiu' alluxion to jrrkm 1 .] In arch., the end of 
a roof when it is formed 
into a shape intermedi- 
ate between a gabli- :in<l 
a hip, the gable rising 
about half-way to the 
ridge, HO that it is left 
with a truncated shape, 
and the roof being hip- 
ped or inclined back- 
ward from this level. 
Also called shread-head. 
(iirilt. 
jerky 1 (j r'ki), a. and n. 
l<jerkl + -yl.] J. . of 
a jerking character ; act- 
ing by jerks; spasmodic; 
capricious; impatient. 
shr wiped her eyes in the jerky way of poor people, to 
whom Usirs are a hindrance. 
J. W. Palmer, After his Kind, p. 265. 
The best teaching Is not feverish or jerky, but deliber- 
ate, steady, harmonious. 
Xew Eng. Jour, of Education, XIX. 41. 
II. n. ; pi. jerkies (-kiz). See the extract. 
The liveliest travelling was by jerky, the ordinary Amer- 
ican f aiTti -waggon without springs. You sat on a board 
laid across the waggon-box ; that Is, you tried to si! , for 
truly half the time you spent in the air, stiffening your 
arms to temper the bump bound to meet your return to 
the seat. W. Shepherd, Prairie Experiences, p. 108. 
jerky 2 (jer'ki), . See jerks. 
Jeroboam (jer-o-bo'am), n. [So called in allu- 
sion to Jeroboam, ''a mighty man of valour" 
(1 Ki. xi. 28), who became king of Israel.] A 
large bowl or goblet, generally of metal. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
The corporation of Ludlow formerly possessed a Jero- 
boam, which was used as a grace-cup or loving-cup at the 
bailiff's feasts. H. S. Cuminys. 
jeroffleret, An obsolete dialectal (Scotch) 
form of gillyflower. 
jeropigia, . A variant of geropigia. 
jerount, [ME., spelled irreg. jeryne; appar. 
< OF. "jeron, geron } giron, gieron, a back of 
leather, a robe, tunic, lap, bed, tile, etc., orig. 
anything circular, a gyron : see gyron.] A piece 
of armor, apparently of leather. 
Armede hym in a actone with orfraeez fulle ryche, 
Aboven one that Ajeryne of Acres owte over, 
Aboven that a jesseraunt of Jentylle maylez, 
A jupone of Jcrodyne jaggeae in schredez. 
M orte Arthurs (E. E. T. S.X L 903. 
jerque, v. t. Seejerk^. 
jerquer, n. See jerker*. 
jerrid, n. See jereed. 
jerry (jer'i), n. ; pi. jerries (-iz). [Origin ob- 
scure ; prob. ult. from the name Jerry, a famil- 
iar abbr. of Jeremiah.'] Aman who erects flimsy 
buildings ; a speculator who constructs houses 
hastily and unsubstantially. 
jerry-builder (jer'i-bil'der), n. Same as jerry. 
How many householders have suffered from the scamped 
work of jerry-buildent Quarterly Ren., CXLV. 67. 
jerry-building (jer'i-bil'ding), n. Cheap and 
careless construction of houses. 
No premium is required to encourage the development 
ol jerry-building. Nature, XXX. 81. 
jerry-built (jer'i-bilt), a. Constructed hastily 
and with flimsy materials. 
The first thought naturally was that these jerry-built 
houses would be shaken down like a pack of cards. 
Nature, XXX. 81. 
jerry-shop (jer'i-shop), n. A low dram-shop. 
A worse than jerry -thop over the way raged like Bedlam 
or Erebus. Carlyle, in Froude. 
jersey (jer'zi), . and a. [Formerly also j'ar*f, 
jarsy, jarzie; so called from Jersey, formerly 
also Jarsey (< F. Jersey), one of the Channel Is- 
lands, < L. Ca-sarea, a name of various places, 
applied in later times to the island, < Gtesar, 
Csesar: see Caesar. The province, now the 
State, of New Jersey (NL. Xova Ccesarea) was 
so named in 1664, in the grant to the proprie- 
tors, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, 
after the island of Jersey, which Sir George 
Carteret had defended against the Long Par- 
liament.] I. n. 1. Fine woolen yarn ; fine or 
select wool, separated from the inferior quality 
by combing. 
Her [the Queen of Scots'] hose were wosted, watched- 
coloured, wrought with silver about the clocks, and whit 
jarae vnder them. 
Quoted in A T . and Q., 7th ser., IV. 281. 
By no meanes therefore is the present practice to be 
borne, which daily earrieth away of the nnest sorts of 
wools ready combed into janiet for worke, which they 
pack up as bales of cloth. (Jutdea Fleece (1657) 
3227 
2. A close-fitting upper garment, extending to 
the hips, made of elastic woolen or silk matt- 
riiil, and worn with some variation of form by 
both men and women. 
Now each house has Its own uniform of cap anajertey, 
of some lively colour. 
T. Hughes, Tom Brown at Kugby, I. 5. 
His dress was well adapted for displaying his deep square 
chest and sinewy arms a close fitting jeney, and white 
trousers girt by a broad black belt 
Lawrence, Guy Livingston, I. 
II. n. Made of fine woolen yarn or pure 
wool. 
If I be not found In carnation .fortcy-stockings, blue 
devils' breeches, with three gards down, and my pocket 1' 
the sleeves, 111 ne'er look you I' the face again. 
Beau, and Ft., Scornful Lady, I. 1. 
Jersey cloth, woolen stockinet. Jersey-comb, In her., 
a bearing representing a comb with long curved teeth, 
such as is used by wool-combers. Jersey flannel, a fab- 
ric resembling stockinet, but with a long and soft pile on 
one side. 
Jersey lightning, livelong. See lightning, live- 
long. 
Jersey mates, Jersey team. See mate 1 . 
Jersey pine, tea, thistle, etc. See pine, etc. 
jertt (jert), v. t. [Seejerfc 1 .] To throw; jerk. 
Cotgrarc. 
jerupigia, . See geropigia. 
Jerusalem artichoke, cherry, cowslip, had- 
dock, oak, pony, etc. See artichoke, etc. 
jervine ( jer'vin), . [< Sp. jerva, the poison of 
the Veratrum album, + -ine 2 .] A crystalline 
alkaloid obtained from the root of Veratrum 
album, along with veratrine. 
jeshamy (jesh'a-mi), . A corruption of jas- 
mine. [Colloq.7 Eng. ] 
jess (jes), M. [Usually in pi. jesses; < ME. ges, < 
OF. ges, gies, giez, gets, or without nom. -s, get, 
giet, later as pi. gects, F. jet = Pr. get = It. (obs. ) 
geto, < ML. jactus, a jess : so called from their 
use in letting the hawk fly, being the same as 
OF. get, giet, later gect, ject, F. jet, < L. jactus, a 
throw, cast: see Jet 1 .] 1. A short strap, usu- 
ally of leather, sometimes of silk or other mate- 
rial, fastened about the leg of a hawk used in 
falconry, and continually worn. The leash, when 
used, is secured to this. But the term jeu must be taken 
to Include a short thong with a ring at the end, which is 
rather the leash and varvel of actual falconry than the jess 
proper. This is the heraldic use of the term. See cut 
under d-la-cuisne. 
If I do prove her haggard, 
Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings, 
I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind, 
To prey at fortune. Shak., Othello, iii. S, 261. 
Soar ye ne'er so high, 
I have the jesses that will pull you down. 
Marlowe, Edward II., II. i 
2. A ribbon that hangs down from a garland or 
crown in falconry. 
jess (jes), v. t. [<jess, n.] To secure with jesses ; 
place the jesses on. 
Both hawks are hooded AnA jessed exactly as in the old 
knightly days. Harper'* Mag., LXXVII. 82. 
Jessed and belled. In her. See falcon, 1. 
jessamine, jessamin (jes'a-min), . [See jas- 
mine."] 1. Same as jasmine. 
The tufted crow-toe, and pale jessamine. 
Milton, Lycldaa, 1. 143. 
All night has the casement jessamine stirr'd 
To the dancers dancing in tune. 
Tennyson, Maud, xxU. 
2. In her., the tincture white or argent in bla- 
zoning by the system of flowers, 
jessamyt (jes'a-mi), n. and a. [A corruption of 
jessamine.] !.". 1. The jasmine. 2. A dandy: 
so called, it is said, because it was a habit of fops 
to wear a sprig of jasmine in their buttonhole. 
My labour, however, was not without Its reward; it 
recommended me to the notice of the ladies, and pro- 
cured me the gentle appellation of Jessamy. 
Hawketworth, Adventurer, No. 100. 
H. a. Like jasmine in color or perfume. 
Towards evening, I took them out to the New Exchange, 
and there my wife bought things, and I did give each of 
them a pair otjesimy plain gloves, and another of white. 
Pepys, Diary, 11. 482. 
jessant (jes'ant), a. [Appar. intended for OF. 
jfttant, jactant, pushing forth, throwing out 
(ppr. otjetter: see jef 1 ), but prob. orig. iessant 
for "issant, < OF. issant, ppr. of isser, eisser, ies- 
ser, issue: see i.iii. and cf. issuant. The form is 
like OF. jesant, gesant (F. gissant), ppr. of gesir, 
< L. jacere, lie.] In her. : (a) 
Shooting up as a plant. (6) 
Emerging: nearly the same as 
ixniidiit, but applied especially 
to an animal which appears to 
emerge from the middle of an 
ordinary or the like, instead of 
its upper edge.-jessant-de-lis, 
In her., having a fleur-de-lis passing 
jest 
through it and showing below as well as above : used com- 
monly of the head of a creature, as a leopard, through 
which the fleur-de-lis seems to have been drawn. 
Jesse' (j'-s'e), H. The name of the father of David 
and ancestor of Jesus, used in several phrases 
with reference to Isa. xi. 1: "And there shall 
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a 
Branch shall grow out of his roots."- Jesse can- 
dlestick, (a) A branched candlestick in which the 
branches are made to serve the purpose of the genealogi- 
cal tree of Christ's descent from Jeaae. See tree oj Jesse, 
below. (b) By extension and erroneously, any large and 
showy branched candlestick or chandelier intended for 
ecclesiastical use.- Jesse window, a painted window 
containing a tree of Jesse. Tree of Jesse, a decorative 
genealogical tree representing the genealogy of Christ, 
the figure of Jesse being the root, and the branches bear- 
ing the name* and often representations of his descend- 
ants. This was a design frequently carried out In the 
middle ages In stained glass or wall decoration, in sculp- 
ture, in the form of a branched candlestick, etc. 
Jesse' 2 (jes'e), . [Also written Jessie, Jessy ; 
appar. of local origin, with some orig. ref. to 
some one named Jesse or Jessie.] A term oc- 
curring only in the following phrase : To give 
one Jesse (sometimes, to give one particular Jesse), 
to give one a good scolding or dressing ; punish one se- 
verely. (Slang, U.S.) 
jesserantt, jesserauntt (jes'e-rant), . [Also 
jagerant, jazerant, jazerent, jaserant, jaserine, 
jazerant; ME. jasserant, jesseraunt, gesseraunt, 
< OF. gesseron, jazeran, jaseran (sdso jesseran), 
a chain-mail shirt, bracelet, or necklace, F. ja- 
seron, .braid, =Pr. jazeran = PR.jazerffo; cf. 8p. 
jacerina = Pg.jazerina = It. ghiazzerino, a coat 
of mail, cuirass; said to be of Ar. (Algerian) 
origin.] Splint armor, whether the splints were 
fastened together with links of steel wire, as in 
Moslem armor, or by silk twist, as in Japanese 
armor, or as in European lobster-tail or crevisse 
uniKir. 
A jazerent of double mall he wore. 
Southey, Joan of Arc, vij 
jest 1 (jest), n. [In the older sense still writ- 
ten, archaically, gest; < ME. geste, r&relyjeste, a 
story, a tale, prop, a tale of adventure or ex- 
ploits, afterward extended to mean any enter- 
taining tale or anecdote, orig. a deed or ex- 
ploit, < OF. geste, an exploit, a tale of exploits: 
see ges ft, gesture.] If. An act ; deed ; achieve- 
ment; exploit; gest. See (jesft, n., I. 
There fin Homer] may theiestes of many a knight be read, 
Patroclus, Pyrrhus, Ajax, Diomed. 
Jasper lleywood, In Cens. Lit, Ix. 393. (Xares.) 
2t. A tale of achievement or adventure; a 
story ; romance. See gest 2 , n.,2. 3f. A mask ; 
masquerade ; pageant. 
He promised us, in honour of our guest, 
To grace our banquet with some pompous/tut. 
K yd, Spanish Tragedy, I. 
4. A spoken pleasantry ; a laughable or inten- 
tionally ludicrous saying ; a witticism; a joke; 
a sally. 
A jest's prosperity lies In the ear 
Of him that hears it, never in the tongue 
Of him that makes It Shak., L. L. L, v. 2, 871. 
fats jests that flash 'd about the pleader's room, 
Lightning of the hour, the pun, the scurrilous tale. 
Tennyson, Aylmer's Field. 
6. An acted pleasantry ; a jocular or playful 
action ; something done to make sport or cause 
laughter. 
The Image of the jest [the plot against Falstaff] 
111 show you here at large. 
Shak., M. W. of W., Iv. 6, 17. 
To cozen their consciences, they hired certain Janiza- 
ries to force them aboard : who took their money, and made 
tijest of beating them in earnest 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 109. 
6. The object of laughter, sport, or mockery ; 
a laughing-stock. 
And where there Is no difference In men's worths. 
Titles tre jests. Beau, and Fl., King and No King, L 1. 
She Is such a desperate scholar that no country gentle- 
man can approach her without being a jest 
Steele, Spectator, No. 118. 
Be this a woman's fame ; with this unblest, 
Toasts live a scorn, and queens may die ijett. 
Pope, Moral Essays, H. 282. 
in sport ; for mere diversion ; not in earnest ; play- 
He spak a word in jest; 
Her answer wasua good. 
The Laird of Warutoun (Child's Ballads, III. 108). 
Tell him that he loves in jest, 
But I In earnest. Quarles, Emblems, v. 1. 
To break a Jest. See break. =8yn. 4. Jest, Joke; quip, 
auirk, witticism, sally. A joke is often rougher or leaa 
elicate than a jest, as a practical jnkt. but jtrt often sug- 
gests more of lightness or scoffing than joke, as to turn 
everything into jest. Joke la the word to be used where 
etion isini "-* 
said. 
implied ; jrtt Is generally applied to something 
Of all the griefs that harass the distressed, 
Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest. 
J"lnwn, London, I. 165. 
