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   jest

   /jest/

   noun

   • 1. a thing said or done for amusement; a joke: "it was said in jest" Similar jokewitticismfunny remarkgagquipsallypunplay on wordsbon motinformal:crackwisecrackone-linerfunnycomebackreparteebanterprankjokepractical jokepiece of mischiefhoaxtrickjapeinformal:leg-pullput-onlarkdido
   • ▪ an object of derision: "lowly virtue is the jest of fools"

   verb

   • 1. speak or act in a joking manner: "you jest, surely?" Similar jokecrackquipgagsallypuntell jokescrack jokesbanterinformal:wisecrackfoolfool aroundplay a prankplay a practical joketeasehoaxinformal:kidwind uphave onpull someone's legmake a monkey out ofpull someone's chainfunshuck

   Word Origin late Middle English: from earlier gest, from Old French geste, from Latin gesta ‘actions, exploits’, from gerere ‘do’. The original sense was ‘heroic deed’, hence ‘a narrative of such deeds’; later the term denoted an idle tale, hence a joke.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • J

     8

   • E

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

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