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joke - 7 dictionary results

joke

  [johk] noun, verb, joked, jok⋅ing.
Use joke in a Sentence
–noun
1. something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.
2. something that is amusing or ridiculous, esp. because of being ludicrously inadequate or a sham; a thing, situation, or person laughed at rather than taken seriously; farce: Their pretense of generosity is a joke. An officer with no ability to command is a joke.
3. a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter: The loss was no joke.
4. something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy: The test was a joke for the whole class.
5. practical joke.
–verb (used without object)
6. to speak or act in a playful or merry way: He was always joking with us.
7. to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest; be facetious: He didn't really mean it, he was only joking.
–verb (used with object)
8. to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.
9. to obtain by joking: The comedian joked coins from the audience.
Origin:
1660–70; < L jocus jest

Related forms:
jokeless, adjective
jok⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. wisecrack, gag, jape, prank, quip, quirk, sally, raillery. Joke, jest refer to something said (or done) in sport, or to cause amusement. A joke is something said or done for the sake of exciting laughter; it may be raillery, a witty remark, or a prank or trick: to tell a joke. Jest, today a more formal word, nearly always refers to joking language and is more suggestive of scoffing or ridicule than is joke: to speak in jest.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To joke
joke   (jōk)   
n.  
  1. Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line.
  2. A mischievous trick; a prank.
  3. An amusing or ludicrous incident or situation.
  4. Informal
    1. Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality: The accident was no joke.
    2. An object of amusement or laughter; a laughingstock: His loud tie was the joke of the office.
v.   joked, jok·ing, jokes

v.   intr.
  1. To tell or play jokes; jest.
  2. To speak in fun; be facetious.
v.   tr.
To make fun of; tease.

[Latin iocus; see yek- in Indo-European roots.]
jok'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These nouns refer to something that is said or done in order to evoke laughter or amusement. Joke especially denotes an amusing story with a punch line at the end: told jokes at the party.
Jest suggests frolicsome humor: amusing jests that defused the tense situation.
A witticism is a witty, usually cleverly phrased remark: a speech full of witticisms.
A quip is a clever, pointed, often sarcastic remark: responded to the tough questions with quips.
Sally denotes a sudden quick witticism: ended the debate with a brilliant sally.
Crack and wisecrack refer less formally to flippant or sarcastic retorts: made a crack about my driving ability; punished for making wisecracks in class.
Gag is principally applicable to a broadly comic remark or to comic by-play in a theatrical routine: one of the most memorable gags in the history of vaudeville.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Joke

Joke\, n. [L. jocus. Cf Jeopardy, Jocular, Juggler.]

1. Something said for the sake of exciting a laugh; something witty or sportive (commonly indicating more of hilarity or humor than jest); a jest; a witticism; as, to crack good-natured jokes.

And gentle dullness ever loves a joke. --Pope.

Or witty joke our airy senses moves To pleasant laughter. --Gay.

2. Something not said seriously, or not actually meant; something done in sport.

Inclose whole downs in walls, 't is all a joke. --Pope.

In joke, in jest; sportively; not meant seriously.

Practical joke. See under Practical.

Joke

Joke\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Joked; p. pr. & vb. n. Joking.] To make merry with; to make jokes upon; to rally; to banter; as, to joke a comrade.

Joke

Joke\, v. i. [L. jocari.] To do something for sport, or as a joke; to be merry in words or actions; to jest.

He laughed, shouted, joked, and swore. --Macaulay.

Syn: To jest; sport; rally; banter. See Jest.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : joke
Spanish: chiste,
German: der Witz,
Japanese: 冗談
More Translations »

joke 
1670, joque, "a jest, something done to excite laughter," from L. jocus "joke, sport, pastime," from PIE base *yek- "to speak" (cf. Bret. iez "language," O.H.G. jehan "to say," Ger. Beichte "confession"). Originally a colloquial or slang word. Meaning "something not to be taken seriously" is 1791. Joker, meaning "odd face card in the deck" is from 1885, probably from earlier slang sense of "man, fellow, chap" (1811).
"American manufacturers of playing-cards are wont to include a blank card at the top of the pack; and it is, alas! true that some thrifty person suggested that the card should not be wasted. This was the origin of the joker." ["St. James's Gazette," 1894]
Practical joke "trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense" is from 1804.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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joke

see crack a joke; dirty joke; no joke; sick joke; standing joke; take a joke.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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