jess

plural jesses

1. falconryA short strap fastened around the leg of a bird used in falconry, to which a leash may be fastened.

   I am that cedar; shake me not too much; And you the eagles; soar ye ne’er so high, I have the jesses that will pull you down;

   1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page)

   5 more examples

   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 […]

   1486, Juliana Berners, The booke of hauking, huntyng and fysshyng, London, published 1566

   […] 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.

   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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]

   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.

   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.

   1773, James Campbell, A Treatise on modern faulconry

   He had jesses on his legs, and appeared to be a goss-hawk. He placed himself before the lady, and in a few minutes after became a handsome gentle knight.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume II, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 207

present singular third person jesses · participle present jessing · participle past jessed · past jessed

1. falconryTo fasten a strap around the leg of a hawk.

plural jesses

1. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of jet (“the mineral”).
2. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of jet (“the color”).

1. not comparablepronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of just.

1. A diminutive of the male given name Jesse.
2. A diminutive of the female given names Jessica and Jessamy.

   ‘Now then Kit,’ said Mr Parkinson, ‘look sharp! Help Jess up. Where has she got to?’ ‘Here I am!’ said Jessamy breathlessly as “helped” rather to vigorously from behind by Kit, she arrived on her knees on the floor of the dog cart.

   1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 58

   2 more examples

   ‘It’s almost as if we’ve gone silly with happiness,’ said Marcus two days later. ‘Everyone in the house going round grinning like a lot of Cheshire Cats! The family I mean.’ ‘And Jess,’ said Kitto quickly. ‘Oh well, Jess is as good as family,’ said Fanny comfortably. Jessamy said nothing, but she looked up quickly and her smile would have rivalled any Cheshire Cat.

   1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 127

   That's because officials say government systems can't currently incorporate the diacritic marks — the accents and symbols used to change the meaning and pronunciation of words — that Jess H̓áust̓i considers an essential part of her Indigenous surname.

   2021 July 8, Betsy Trumpener, “Heiltsuk woman unable to restore Indigenous surname on ID because system can't handle its spelling”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2024