name
Meaning 1
A surname.
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
jester
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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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: /ˈd͡ʒɛs.tɚ/
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homophone: gestor
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rhymes with -ɛstə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: JH EH1 S T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
One who jests, jokes or teases.
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 person in colourful garb and fool's cap who amused a medieval and early modern royal or noble court.
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
Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Southeast Asian genus Symbrenthia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To act in a foolish or clownish way for the purpose of entertainment or attracting attention.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fool, motley fool
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: clown, buffoon, goof, goofball, merry andrew
History
Etymology
From Middle English gestour; equivalent to jest + -er.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: بَهْلُول (bahlūl) — one who jests
- Belarusian: жартаўні́к (žartawník) — one who jests
- Belarusian: жарто́ўнік (žartównik) — one who jests
- Bulgarian: шегоби́ец (šegobíec) — one who jests
- Czech: šašek — one who jests
- Esperanto: amuzanto — one who jests
- Finnish: vitsailija — one who jests
- Finnish: vitsiniekka — one who jests
- French: plaisantin — one who jests
- Galician: alvardán — one who jests
- Galician: bufón — one who jests
- Galician: arlequín — one who jests
- Georgian: ხუმარა (xumara) — one who jests
- Georgian: მასხარა (masxara) — one who jests
- Georgian: ოხუნჯი (oxunǯi) — one who jests
- Georgian: ტაკიმასხარა (ṭaḳimasxara) — one who jests
- German: Spaßmacher — one who jests
- German: Spaßmacherin — one who jests
- German: Clown — one who jests
- German: Clownin — one who jests
- German: Hampelmann — one who jests
- German: Hampelfrau — one who jests
- German: Narr — one who jests
- Ancient Greek: γελωτοποιός (gelōtopoiós) — one who jests
- Latin: balatrō — one who jests
- Lithuanian: klounas — one who jests
- Macedonian: шега́џија (šegádžija) — one who jests
- Macedonian: шего́биец (šegóbiec) — one who jests
- Macedonian: сме́шник (sméšnik) — one who jests
- Māori: kiri hangareka — one who jests
- Pashto: ټوکي (ṭoki) — one who jests
- Polish: błazen — one who jests
- Portuguese: brincalhão — one who jests
- Russian: шутни́к (šutník) — one who jests
- Russian: шутни́ца (šutníca) — one who jests
- Russian: остря́к (ostrják) — one who jests
- Spanish: truhán — one who jests
- Swedish: gycklare — one who jests
- Ottoman Turkish: لطیفهجی (latifeci) — one who jests
- Ukrainian: жартівни́к (žartivnýk) — one who jests
- Ukrainian: жартівни́ця (žartivnýcja) — one who jests
- Ukrainian: жарту́н (žartún) — one who jests
Real reading context