jaw
/d͡ʒoː/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.98 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Anything resembling the jaw (sense 1) of an animal in form or action; the mouth or way of entrance.
Example Sentences
- "His jaw dropped in amazement."
- "I'm up and jaws are on the floor Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door"
- "the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death."
- "the jaw of a railway-car pedestal."
- "the jaws of a vise; the jaws of a stone-crushing machine."
- "Give me the boy, now, and no more of your jaw. I am going to take the boy home with me."
Etymology
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”), 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/. This would be a concern if /uː/ were the vowel to expect from a borrowing of the Old French word, which it is not. Compare English paw < Middle English pawe/powe < Anglo-Norman powe < Old French poe. * 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 (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).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /d͡ʒoː/
- British English: /d͡ʒɔː/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.