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joker

noun
/ˈd͡ʒəʊkə/UK/ˈd͡ʒoʊkɚ/US

Etymology

From joke + -er, but in the sense of a playing card possibly by alteration of German Jucker, also the origin of the name of the card game euchre.

  1. derived from *yek-✻
  2. derived from *yokos✻
  3. derived from *jokos✻
  4. formed as joker — “joke + -er”

Definitions

  1. A person who makes jokes.

  2. A funny person.

  3. A jester.

  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. A playing card that features a picture of a joker (that is, a jester) and that may be…

      A playing card that features a picture of a joker (that is, a jester) and that may be used as a wild card in some card games.

    2. Something kept in reserve that can be used to gain an advantage

      Something kept in reserve that can be used to gain an advantage; a trump card.

      • Rebus decided to use their joker. 'Mr Lintz made a phone call to this office. He was talking for over twenty minutes.'
      • Tash Wilson played her 'joker' , pulling her chair so close our legs were almost touching. 'Hey, Chris, do you want to go out sometime? All you've got to do is say the word.'

    3. An unspecified, vaguely disreputable person.

      • Some joker keeps throwing eggs at my windows.

    4. A man.

    5. A clause in a contract that undermines its apparent provisions.

      • Discussion of contracts and the many provisions contained therein led to a vote making it the sense of the convention that manufacturers should use a simple sales contract, free from jokers.
      • Then, sir, on page 12 of the agreement there is a joker clause, which provides for payments in addition to the ten per cent, […]
      • Stone claimed that there was a Joker in the contract, one clause (No. 2) calling for two weeks' notice and another (No. 8) calling for payment on a par-day basis after the first two weeks.

    6. A friendly unit that acts as a suspected hostile unit in a military excercise.

      • Joker - A friendly track or contact acting as a "suspect" track for exercise purposes only. (STANAG 1241)

    7. The option, in a pub quiz, of selecting one particular round in which one's team will…

      The option, in a pub quiz, of selecting one particular round in which one's team will score double points.

      • We used our joker as soon as the topic of sports was announced, since we are sport experts.

    8. A fairy chess piece that moves like the last piece that was moved by the opponent.

    9. A fictional villain of DC Comics, noted for his insanity and cunning, who either wears…

      A fictional villain of DC Comics, noted for his insanity and cunning, who either wears clown makeup or is disfigured to appear as such, and who is archenemy of Batman.

      • ...grinning like the Joker, Batman's nemesis, a character described in the story as being a favorite of Douglas's.
      • He started to laugh that maniacal laugh that sounded like the Joker on speed.
      • I would've liked to have learned more, but the lady working the booth was a monstrous titan with dyed black hair, about ten rings on each hand, and a mouth like the Joker (Jack Nicholson version), and she spooked me.

The neighborhood

Derived

cosmic joker, joker in the pack, joker lap, practical joker, video joker

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for joker. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

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