name
Meaning 1
A female given name.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
jenny
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈd͡ʒɛni/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɛni
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homophone: Genny
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CMU ARPABET: JH EH1 N IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A device for spinning thread from fiber onto multiple spindles (also called spinning jenny).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A female creature of certain kinds:
A female donkey.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A female creature of certain kinds:
A female wren.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A female creature of certain kinds:
A female cat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A female creature of certain kinds:
A female crab.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A catmill.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
In billiards and similar games, a powerful follow shot with plenty of topspin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A Wren (a member of the WRNS).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A Curtiss JN-4 airplane.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Alternative letter-case form of jenny.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To wind finished lace onto cards ready for sale.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
female donkey
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: jennet, jenny ass
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ass
noun
Meaning 15
United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: William Le Baron Jenny
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: architect, designer
History
Etymology
From Jen + -y, historically as a hypochoristic form of Janet, Jane, etc. but now more often used as a diminutive of Jennifer. Rarely also a nickname of Genevieve (compare Genny, pronounced the same), Eugenia or Virginia (compare Ginny). Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna in derivations from Jane etc. In senses related to inanimate objects, partially derived from the generic senses of Jane and partially an informal pronunciation of engine.
Partially from generic use of the female given name Jenny (cf. Jane) and partially from informal pronunciations of engine.
Across languages
Translations
13 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: جِينِي (jenī) — female given name
- Chinese Mandarin: 珍妮 (Zhēnnī) — female given name
- Danish: Jenny — female given name
- Dutch: Jenny — female given name
- Finnish: Jenni — female given name
- Japanese: ジェニー (Jenī) — female given name
- Korean: 제니 (Jeni) — female given name
- Norwegian: Jenny — female given name
- Russian: Дже́нни (Džénni) — female given name
- Spanish: Juanita — female given name
- Spanish: Juani — female given name
- Swedish: Jenny — female given name
- Swedish: Jennie — female given name
Real reading context