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jess. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
jess, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
jess in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
jess you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English ges, from Middle French gies, from the plural of jet (“throw”), from Vulgar Latin *iectus, jectus < iactus (“a throwing”), or from jeter (“to throw”), itself from Latin iactare.
Noun
jess (plural jesses)
- (falconry) A short strap fastened around the leg of a bird used in falconry, to which a leash may be fastened.
1486, Juliana Berners, The booke of hauking, huntyng and fysshyng, London, published 1566:Haukes haue about theyr legges gesses made of lether moste comonly, some of silke which should no lenger but that the knottes of them should appere in ye myddes of the left hande betwene the longe fynger and the leche fynger bicause the lewnes should be fastened to them with a payre of tyrettes, whiche tyrettes should rest vpon the lewnes and not vpon gesses, for hangyng and fastyng vpon trees when she fleyth […]
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :[…] If I do prove her haggard,
Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings,
I’ld whistle her off and let her down the wind,
To pray at fortune.
- 1686, Richard Blome, The Gentlemans Recreation, Part 2, Chapter 24 “Certain Terms of Art used in Falconry, with an Explanation thereof, Alphabetically set down,” p. 62,
Jesses are the short straps of Leather that are fastned to her Legs, and so to the Lease by the Varvils.
1773, James Campbell, A Treatise on modern faulconry:If your hawk is bad-weathered, that is, will not fit on your fist when the wind blows, but hales, and beats, and hangs by the jeſſes, ſhe has an ill habit of the worſt kind.
Verb
jess (third-person singular simple present jesses, present participle jessing, simple past and past participle jessed)
- (falconry) To fasten a strap around the leg of a hawk.
Etymology 2
See jet (etymology 2).
Noun
jess (plural jesses)
- Alternative form of jet (the mineral).
- Alternative form of jet (the color).
Etymology 3
See just.
Adverb
jess (not comparable)
- Pronunciation spelling of just.
References
- Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967
Anagrams
Finnish
Pronunciation
Interjection
jess!
- Alternative form of jes
Further reading
Icelandic
Etymology
From English yes.
Pronunciation
Interjection
jess
- (informal) yes (exclamation of satisfaction, joy, etc.)