jaw
pronunciation
How to pronounce jaw in British English:
UK [dʒɔː]
How to pronounce jaw in American English:
US [dʒɔː]
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- Noun:
- the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth
- the bones of the skull that frame the mouth and serve to open it; the bones that hold the teeth
- holding device consisting of one or both of the opposing parts of a tool that close to hold an object
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- Verb:
- talk socially without exchanging too much information
- talk incessantly and tiresomely
- chew (food)
- censure severely or angrily
Word Origin
- jaw
- jaw: [14] Given that it is a fairly important part of the body, our knowledge of the origins of the word for ‘jaw’ is surprisingly sketchy. The Old English terms for ‘jaw’ were céace (modern English cheek) and ceafl (ancestor of modern English jowl), and when jaw first turns up towards the end of the 14th century it is in the form iowe. This strongly suggests a derivation from Old French joe ‘cheek’, but the connection has never been established for certain, and many etymologists consider it more likely that it is related to chew.
- jaw (n.)
- late 14c., "the bones of the mouth," perhaps from Old French joue "cheek," from Gaulish *gauta "cheek," or perhaps a variant of Germanic words related to chew (q.v.); compare also jowl. Replaced Old English ceace, ceafl.
- jaw (v.)
- 1610s, "to catch in the jaws, devour," from jaw (n.). In slang from 1748, "to gossip, to speak" 1810, "to scold." Related: Jawed; jawing. Hence 19c. U.S. slang jawsmith "talkative person" (1887).
Example
- 1. I merely nodded once , jaw tight .
- 2. He slugged me in the jaw as hard as he could .
- 3. In prehistoric times , a broken jaw could have ended up being a fatal injury .
- 4. When billy told candice this roughly three months before the wedding , her jaw dropped .
- 5. He was knocked out cold and thought his jaw was broken .