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Jest   /dʒɛst/   Listen
noun
Jest  n.  
1.
A deed; an action; a gest. (Obs.) "The jests or actions of princes."
2.
A mask; a pageant; an interlude. (Obs.) "He promised us, in honor of our guest, To grace our banquet with some pompous jest."
3.
Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase. See Synonyms under Jest, v. i. "I must be sad... smile at no man's jests." "The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts."
4.
The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock. "Then let me be your jest; I deserve it."
In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. "And given in earnest what I begged in jest."
Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.


verb
Jest  v. i.  (past & past part. jested; pres. part. jesting)  
1.
To take part in a merrymaking; especially, to act in a mask or interlude. (Obs.)
2.
To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything. "He jests at scars that never felt a wound."
Synonyms: To joke; sport; rally. To Jest, Joke. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. "Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Jest" Quotes from Famous Books



... brought you here to jest with you, nor yet, as you think, to condemn you to die, though your life is justly forfeit to me and my people, whom you would have betrayed again to their oppressors. Now, listen! You brought me back from death to life, and for my life I will give you yours, and for Golden Star's ...
— The Romance of Golden Star ... • George Chetwynd Griffith
... would be an excellent jest to thrust upon these arrogant priests, who refused to appoint a bishop of their choice, a bishop who was little better than ...
— The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series • Rafael Sabatini
... than her cousins, was also less of her age. She was pretty and sweet-tempered, but timid and without energy of character. Her timidity and her littleness made her the jest of her companions, and in their play-hours she had often cause to feel and acknowledge their superiority in age and size; but as their teasing of her proceeded more from unchecked liveliness than real ill-nature, and as she was too gentle to retort upon them, their childish squabbles ...
— The Flower Basket - A Fairy Tale • Unknown
... things made a great impression on the young girl. Jenkins became immediately her friend, confidant, a vigilant and kind guardian. Occasionally, when, in the studio, somebody—her father most likely of all—uttered a risky jest, the Irishman would contract his eyebrows, give a little click of the tongue, or ...
— The Nabob • Alphonse Daudet
... St. George, "I beg you not to jest with us. Have consideration for the two to whom this ...
— Romance Island • Zona Gale


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