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jape

noun
/d͡ʒeɪp/

Etymology

From Middle English japen (“to deceive, play tricks on; act foolishly, joke; have sex with”), of uncertain origin, but perhaps combining Old French japer (“to bark, howl, scream; chatter, gossip”) with gaber (“to mock, deride”). See also gab, Old Occitan japar, jaupar (“to bark, yelp, yap”), related to Old Saxon galpōn (“to cry loudly, make a noise, brag”) (Low German galpen (“to bark, howl, scream”)), Middle High German gelpfen (“to scream, bark, boast, proclaim”), Old Norse gjálpa (“to yelp”) (dialectal Swedish galpa (“to cry, screech”)). More at yelp, yawp, yap.

  1. inherited from japen

Definitions

  1. A joke or quip.

    • [H]e clapped hand to thigh, and laughed and laughed until the air rang again. "Oho, a jape—a jape indeed!" he roared.
    • “Now I come to think of it, I suppose schooling isn't such a bad idea as long as he can have some japes and tomfoolery with his young cohorts.” “My love, it will be very good for him and very good for us.”

  2. A prank or trick.

  3. To jest

    To jest; play tricks.

    • Now the Lond of Egypt longeth to the Soudan, yet the Soudan longeth not to the Lond of Egypt. And when I say this, I do jape with words, and may hap ye understond me not.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To mock

      To mock; deride.

    2. To have sexual intercourse with.

      • Nay, brother, lay hand on him soon; / For he japed my wife, and made me cuckold.
      • I jape a wench […] it is better to jape a wenche than to do worce.
      • Thair is ane hundreth heir sittand by / That luiffis geaping als weill as I.

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA