jab
English edit
Etymology edit
Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
jab (plural jabs)
- A quick stab or blow; a poking or thrusting motion.
- 1952, Bernard Malamud, The Natural, Chapter 9:
- He tore in for the ball, make a running jab for it and held it.
- (boxing) A short straight punch.
- 2011 December 18, Ben Dirs, “Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward”, in BBC Sport[1]:
- American Ward was too quick and too slick for his British rival, landing at will with razor sharp jabs and hooks and even bullying Froch at times.
- (British) A medical hypodermic injection (vaccination or inoculation)
- Our dog was exposed to rabies, so the whole family went to a clinic to get our jabs.
- (British, Australia, New Zealand) A vaccination, whether or not delivered via conventional injection.
- 2017 June 28, Michelle Roberts, “Painless flu jab patch for people scared of injections”, in BBC News[2]:
- A 'painless' sticking plaster flu jab that delivers vaccine into the skin has passed important safety tests in the first trial in people.
- (US, figurative) A mild verbal insult.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
quick stab
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(boxing) a short straight punch
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medical injection
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a verbal annoyance
Verb edit
jab (third-person singular simple present jabs, present participle jabbing, simple past and past participle jabbed)
- To poke or thrust abruptly, or to make such a motion.
- To deliver a quick punch.
- (slang, UK) To give someone an injection.
- (slang) To vaccinate or inoculate someone.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
to poke or thrust abruptly
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to deliver a quick punch
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(slang) to give someone an injection
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See also edit
References edit
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “jab”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Irish edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
jab m (genitive singular jab, nominative plural jabanna)
Declension edit
Declension of jab
Bare forms
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Forms with the definite article
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Derived terms edit
- jabaire m (“(cattle-)jobber”)
References edit
- Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “jab”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
Italian edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
jab m (invariable)
- jab (boxing punch)
Marshallese edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
jab
Adverb edit
jab
- not ... the
Noun edit
jab
Related terms edit
References edit
Spanish edit
Noun edit
jab m (plural jabs)