jazz

plural jazzes · alternative dated jaz · alternative dated jas · alternative dated jass · alternative dated jasz

1. uncountableusuallyentertainmentA musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time, commonly characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms and improvisation.

   You dare to bring your jazz songs into my house!

   1927, Samson Raphaelson, Alfred A. Cohn, The Jazz Singer, spoken by Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson)

   3 more examples

   Of later composers of Jewish musical plays we mention Joseph Rumshinksy (born in Wilna in 1879), who gained popularity in New York. His music is based upon folk motives and influenced by "Jazz" rhythms and melodic curves

   1929, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its Historical Development, page 454

   You all look out now, here I come, everybody step aside, I’m gonna show you where from! I'm gonna blow in this horn and make you know that jazz is the king and let it be so!

   1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Not too Far Tangent”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 30

   You see, the kids, they listen to the rap music which gives them the brain damage. With their hippin', and the hoppin', and the bippin', and the boppin', so they don't know what the jazz…is all about! You see, jazz is like the Jello Pudding Pop—no, actually, it's more like Kodak film—no, actually, jazz is like the New Coke: it'll be around forever, heh heh.

   1995 April 30, Mike Reiss, Al Jean, “'Round Springfield”, in The Simpsons, season 6, episode 22, spoken by Bill Cosby (Dan Castellaneta)

2. figurativelyuncountableusuallyEnergy, excitement, excitability.

   He loves the risk. The danger. He loves the jazz.

   1983, Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell, “Mexican Slayride”, in The A-Team, season 1, episode 1, spoken by B. A. Baracus (Mr. T)

   1 more example

   “You want something zippy there. Something with a bit of jazz to it!”

   1923 May 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “(please specify the page)”, in The Inimitable Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

3. uncountableusuallyThe substance or makeup of a thing; unspecified thing(s).

   and all that jazz

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   What is all this jazz lying around?

   I'm just going down to the shops and jazz.

   Dad, I want to be a jock. All a jock needs is some hep patter and a real gone image. Now, they just don't teach that jazz in college.

   1975, Garry Marshall et al., “Richie's Flip Side”, in Happy Days, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard)

   Synonyms: stuff, Sorted by number of Google hits, widget, hickey, gizmo, thingy, gimmick, thingie

4. uncountableusuallySomething of excellent quality, the genuine article.

   That show was the jazz!

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   This risotto is simply the jazz.

5. uncountableusuallyNonsense.

   Stop talking jazz.

   Synonyms: rubbish, wass, absurdity, all my eye, all my eye and Betty Martin, apple grease, applesauce, bafflegab

6. slanguncountableusuallySemen, jizz.

   Suddenly, Bobby oozed his jazz into Gene's throat.

   1968, Len Harrington, In drag, page 7

   2 more examples

   […] making Glenn feel as though he could never stop shooting his jazz wildly up inside the man's brawny body!

   1974, Peter Pepper, Meatslinger, page 141

   As he clung to the legs of his captor, he splayed his own out to the side, baring his groin and genitals to the eyes of all just as his jazz began to spurt out onto the stage.

   2018, Bert Shrader, A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

7. uncountableusuallyA red-skinned variety of eating apple.

present singular third person jazzes · participle present jazzing · participle past jazzed · past jazzed · alternative dated jaz · alternative dated jas · alternative dated jass · alternative dated jasz

1. slangTo destroy; to ruin.

   You’ve gone and jazzed it now!

   Synonyms: annihilate

2. To play (jazz music).

   Synonyms: cook

3. To dance to the tunes of jazz music.
4. To enliven, brighten up, make more colourful or exciting.

   Synonyms: invigorate

5. slangTo complicate.

   Don’t jazz it too much!

   Synonyms: complexify

6. USdatedintransitiveslangTo have sex for money, to prostitute oneself.

   ‘Jazzing?’ Temple whispered […]. ‘Yes, putty-face!’ the woman said. ‘How do you suppose I paid that lawyer?’

   1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 59

   Synonyms: sell one's body

7. intransitiveslangTo move (around/about) in a lively or frivolous manner; to fool around.First known use 20th c.

   ‘Well, if you're going to jazz about the way you do, I suppose you'll need rouge at your age.’

   1958, Doris Lessing, A Ripple From the Storm, HarperPerennial, published 1995, page 119

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   I have no patience with the modern neurotic girl who jazzes from morning to night, smokes like a chimney, and uses language which would make a Billingsgate fishwoman blush!

   1923, Agatha Christie, The Murder on the Links

   "In the old days, heaps of unmarried women were companions, and let me tell you, my dear girl, they had a much better time than they have now, with all this jazzing and short skirts and pretending to have careers. The modern girl hasn't a scrap of decent feeling or sentiment about her. Money--money and notoriety, that's all she's after. That's what we fought the war for--and that's what we've come back to!" "George, do keep to the point. Miss Dorland doesn't jazz--"

   1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

8. slangtransitiveTo distract or pester.

   Stop jazzing me!

   Synonyms: bother

9. slangTo ejaculate.

   I reached around and began jacking off Marshall's prick as I was jazzing his ass.

   1988, First Hand - Volume 8, Issue 2, page 47

   2 more examples

   Twenty-four black men jazzed madly as trumpets exploded her eardrums in tom-tom time. Ebony orgasm flooded her with creme.

   1982, Arthur Winfield Knight, Kit Knight, Beat angels, page 7

   The thrill of the rimming soon made this guy beg for me to stop before he jazzed his nuts.

   1986, Winston Leyland, Hard, page 84

1. A diminutive of the male given name Jasper.

   Jasper's teeth were set; he didn't move. "Jazz, this isn't anything you've seen before," Alice said quietly. "Trust me."

   2008, Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Little, Brown and Company, page 492

2. A diminutive of the male given name James.

   His real name was James, but those who knew him seemed never to call him that. He was Jamesy, or more often Jazz.

   2001, Ian Rankin, Resurrection Men, Orion, page 4

   Synonyms: Jamie, Jaime, Jem, Jemmy

3. A diminutive of the female given name Jasmine.

   "He calls you Jazzikins." He would. He had. Couldn't call me Jazz or Jasmine the way everyone else did.

   2012? Madeleine Oh, At Long Last, in The Mammoth Book of Erotica: Volume 4, Constable and Robinson Ltd (2012)