joker
pronunciation
How to pronounce joker in British English:
UK [ˈdʒəʊkə(r)]
How to pronounce joker in American English:
US [ˈdʒoʊkə(r)]
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- Noun:
- a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes
- a person who does something thoughtless or annoying
Word Origin
- joker (n.)
- 1729, "jester, merry fellow," agent noun from joke (v.). In generic slang use for "any man, fellow, chap" by 1811, which probably is the source of the meaning "odd face card in the deck" (1868). An 1857 edition of Hoyle's "Games" lists a card game called Black Joke in which all face cards were called jokers. 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]
Example
- 1. When arrested he reportedly told police he was the batman villain the joker , who also has coloured hair .
- 2. Despite his own serious insistence on authenticity , brando was just as much a practical joker on the set as quinn .
- 3. But far from the provocative joker of previous years , mr wilders has become an important force in dutch politics .
- 4. Traditionally , powerful people had a joker following them around , making jokes and poking fun at them , reminding them that they are just human beings .
- 5. Take the joker , who treats a stunningly staged bank robbery like his private video game with accomplices in joker masks , blood spurting and only one winner .