jest

From Middle English geste (“idle tale”), from Old French geste (“acts, exploits”), from Latin gesta (“acts, deeds”). Compare gest, gesture.

• enPR: jĕst, IPA^(key): /dʒɛst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛst

jest (plural jests)

1. (archaic) An act performed for amusement; a joke.
   • Sheridan

     The Right Honourable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts.

2. (archaic) Someone or something that is ridiculed; the target of a joke.

   Your majesty, stop him before he makes you the jest of the court.

   • Shakespeare

     Then let me be your jest; I deserve it.

3. (obsolete) A deed; an action; a gest.
   • Sir T. Elyot

     the jests or actions of princes

4. (obsolete) A mask; a pageant; an interlude.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Nares to this entry?)

   • Kyd

     He promised us, in honour of our guest, / To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.

• (joke): prank, gag, laughingstock, banter, crack, wisecrack, witticism
• See also Thesaurus:joke

jest (third-person singular simple present jests, present participle jesting, simple past and past participle jested)

1. To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.

   Surely you jest!

• (to joke): banter, kid, mock, tease

• jester
• jestingly

• jest on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Eye dialect spelling of just. This spelling is used for both AAVE and Southern US English.

jest (not comparable)

1. (African American Vernacular, Southern US) Alternative spelling of just

• ESTJ, Jets, jets

• IPA^(key): /jɛst/

• Audio

  (file)

jest

1. third-person singular present indicative of być; is

   Ona jest ładna. ― She's pretty.

   Agnieszka jest studentką. ― Agnieszka is a student.

2. (mathematics) is, equals (see also wynosi)

   dwa plus dwa jest cztery. ― Two plus two is four.