jaw

From Middle English jawe/jowe (“jaw; sides of the lower face”, 14th century), the further origin of which is disputed. Either:

• From Anglo-Norman jowe, from Old French joe (“cheek; jaw”),^[1] from Vulgar Latin *ga(v)ota (“cheek”), of uncertain further origin.
  • It has been objected that the rhyming of jowe (“jaw”) with clowe (“claw”) in Middle English demonstrates that it did not have the vowel /uː/.^[2] This would be a concern if /uː/ were the vowel to expect from a borrowing of the Old French word, which it is not.^[3][4] Compare English paw < Middle English pawe/powe < Anglo-Norman powe < Old French poe.^{[note 1]}

• From Middle English *chowe, from Old English *ċēowe. The main difficulties with this theory are the notable lack of evidence and the late attestation of chaw^[5] (early 16th century). If it is correct, then the further origin would be Proto-West Germanic *keuwā (“jaw”), whence Saterland Frisian Kiuwe, Dutch kieuw, German Keu, Käu. For the initial consonant, compare jowl as a variant of chavel/chawl.

It is also conceivable that the word is a merger of two coincidentally similar sources. Gradually displaced Middle English chavel (from Old English ċeafl).

• (UK) enPR: jô, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɔː/
• (US) enPR: jô, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɔ/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɑ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː

jaw (plural jaws)

1. One of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which form the framework of the mouth.
2. The part of the face below the mouth.

   His jaw dropped in amazement.

   • 2020 April 3, Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro, “Pink Pony Club”‎^[2]performed by Chappell Roan:

     I'm up and jaws are on the floor
     Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door

3. (figuratively, especially in the plural) Anything resembling the jaw (sense 1) of an animal in form or action; the mouth or way of entrance.

   the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death.

4. A notch or opening.
5. A notched or forked part, adapted for holding an object in place.

   the jaw of a railway-car pedestal.

6. One of a pair of opposing parts which are movable towards or from each other, for grasping or crushing anything between them.

   the jaws of a vise; the jaws of a stone-crushing machine.

7. (nautical) The inner end of a boom or gaff, hollowed in a half circle so as to move freely on a mast.
8. (slang, dated) Impudent, abusive, or worthless talk.
   • 1869, Henry Kingsley, Silcote of Silcotes:

     Give me the boy, now, and no more of your jaw. I am going to take the boy home with me.

   • 1955, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew, London: The Bodley Head, →OCLC:

     "A lot you care," said Digory fiercely. "But I'm sick of this jaw. What have I got to do?"

9. (slang) An axle guard.
11. (snooker) The curved part of the cushion marking the entry to the pocket.

• chin

jaw (third-person singular simple present jaws, present participle jawing, simple past and past participle jawed)

1. (transitive) To assail or abuse by scolding.
   • 1933, Ethel Lina White, The Spiral Staircase (Some Must Watch), Chapter 4, [3]

     He built the Summit, so as to have no neighbours. And Lady Warren couldn't abide It. She was always jawing him about it, and they had one awful quarrel, in his study.

2. (intransitive) To scold; to clamor.
   • 1748, Tobias Smollett, chapter 24, in The Adventures of Roderick Random‎^[4]:

     […] he waked him, which put him in a main high passion, and he swore woundily at the lieutenant, and called him lousy Scotch son of a whore […] , and swab, and lubber, whereby the lieutenant returned the salute, and they jawed together fore and aft a good spell, till at last the captain turned out, and, laying hold of a rattan, came athwart Mr. Bowling's quarter: whereby he told the captain that, if he was not his commander, he would heave him overboard […]

3. (intransitive, informal) To talk; to converse.
   • 1952, C. S. Lewis, chapter 5, in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Collins, published 1998:

     Today the beastly boat is level at last and the sun’s out and we have all been jawing about what to do.

4. (snooker, transitive, intransitive) (of a ball) To stick in the jaws of a pocket.

• jaw down

Uncertain. Attested since 1513 (as a verb and noun) in Scots. The DSL speculates that it might be related to Scots (and Northern English dialectal) jall, joll "knock, bump; toll (a bell)" via the notion of knocking "one thing against another, as waves on a rock". The EDD compares Old Norse jaga (“move to and fro”).

jaw (third-person singular simple present jaws, present participle jawing, simple past and past participle jawed)

1. (Scotland, transitive) To pour or throw out.
   • 1863, James Nicholson, Kilwuddie and other poems, page 80:

     Bletherum bore her to the vestry, Jaw'd some water in her face;  […]

   • 1896, Peter Hay Hunter, James Inwick: Ploughman and Elder, page 145:

     Nae need to jaw watter on a droun'd moose.

2. (Scotland, transitive, of water) To splash; to surge.
   • 1877, Walter Watson, The Poems and Songs of Walter Watson, page 100:

     'Twas freezin', thowin', rainin', snawin', In souple turns; While sheughs an' deep fur-drains were jawin' To spate the burns.

   • 1879, David Gilmour, Reminiscences of the Pen' Folk: Paisley Weavers of Other Days, Etc, page 52:

     ... a burn "whiles jawin' like a sea."

   • 1885, Francis James Child, George Lyman Kittredge, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, page 223:

     ... stately tower, […] Whilk proud defies the jawing wave, Built on a rock […]

• jawbox
• jaw-hole

jaw (plural jaws)

1. (Scotland, Northern England) A wave, a billow, a breaker.
   • 1815, Robert Fergusson, The Poems of Robert Fergusson: in Two Parts. To which is Prefixed, the Life of the Author, and a Sketch of His Writings; with a Copious Glossary Annexed, page 269:

     Upo' the briny Borean jaws to float,

   • 1880, James E. Watt, Poetical Sketches of Scottish Life and Character, page 20:

     ... a craft […] That, like the white sea-mew, jinket the jaws On the briny breist o' the main.

   • 1882, Francis James Child, George Lyman Kittredge, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, page 21:

     ... ugly , ugly were the jaws That rowd unto their knee.

   • 1892, James Lumsden, Samuel Mucklebackit, Sheep-head and Trotters: Being Savoury Selections, Poetic and Prosaic, from the Bulky Literary Remains of Samuel Mucklebackit and Thomas Pintail, Late Parnassian Hill and Arable Farmers in Lothian..., page 164:

     Scores o' our sturdiest farmers fail / To jouk the jaw, / An' broken-hearted […]

2. (Scotland, Northern England) A dash or spurt of water; any large quantity of water or other liquid.
   • 1813, Ebenezer Picken, Miscellaneous Poems, Songs, &c., Partly in the Scottish Dialect: With a Glossary, page 80:

     But sweetly bends the reamin' bicker, To drown dull care in jaws o' liquor.

   • 1817 [1685?], Robert Brown, Comic Poems of the Years 1685, and 1793: On Rustic Scenes in Scotland, at the Times to which They Refer : with Explanatory and Illustrative Notes, page 62:

     The nauseous mixture fell, When full in play; Wi' jaws upon the sprawling hash,  […]

   • 1827, William Tennant, Papistry Storm'd: Or, The Dingin' Down O' the Cathedral : Ane Poem, in Sax Sangs, page 84:

     But Fisher - Willie and the lairds […] wash't their gebbies and their beards In sparklin' jaws o' claret. They're comin'! cry'd a bodie out; They're comin' now […]

   • 1866, Sidney Gilpin, The Songs and Ballads of Cumberland: To which are Added Dialect and Other Poems ; with Biographical Sketches, Notes, and Glossary, page 275:

     Wi' jaws o' yell some durty beutts / Pat loft suin in a slatter;

   • 1876, Elizabeth Lynn Linton, Lizzie Lorton of Greyrigg: A Novel ..., page 279:

     ... a certain slight rollick in his voice and accent , perhaps due to the "jaws o' yell" in the yard yonder.

   • 1887, John Service, The Life and Recollections of Doctor Duguid of Kilwinning, page 125:

     ... , when he was gaun to be very big, and order in a great jaw of drink for the company, […]

Uncertain; see Jew's harp for more.

jaw (not comparable)

1. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) used in certain set phrases like jaw harp, jaw harpist and jaw's-trump.

• Angus Stevenson, Maurice Waite, Concise Oxford English Dictionary: Luxury Edition (2011), page 761.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025), “jaw”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “jaw”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “jou(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

jaw

1. your (second personal pronoun plural possessive)

• jam

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -af
• Syllabification: jaw

See haw.

jaw (not comparable)

1. (Żywiec) alternative form of hajwo

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

jaw f

1. genitive plural of jawa

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

jaw

1. second-person singular imperative of jawić

• Leon Rzeszowski (1891), “jaw”, in “Spis wyrazów ludowych z okolic Żywca”, in Sprawozdania Komisyi Językowej Akademii Umiejętności, volume 4, Krakow: Drukarnia Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, page 356