# jay

/ˈdʒeɪ/ (US) · /dʒˈeɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jay
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the bird

noun · CEFR B2

a colourful and often noisy bird that is part of the crow family.

For teachers: any of several species of birds within the family Corvidae, typically smaller than crows and often possessing bright plumage and a crest.

- A bright blue jay landed on the bird feeder in the garden.
- The Eurasian jay is known for its distinctive blue wing patches and its ability to mimic the calls of other woodland birds.

### 2. marijuana cigarette

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word for a marijuana cigarette.

For teachers: a slang term for a marijuana cigarette, derived from the first letter of 'joint'.

- He was caught outside the club lighting up a jay.
- The group stood in the alleyway, passing a jay between them while they waited for the concert to begin.

### 3. the letter J

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the name of the letter J.

For teachers: the phonetic name for the tenth letter of the English alphabet, J.

- The word 'judge' starts with a jay.
- In some older printing presses, the jay was often confused with the letter I due to their similar appearances in certain typefaces.

### 4. an ignorant person

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old-fashioned word for a person who is not very smart or who is easily fooled.

For teachers: an archaic term for a dull, ignorant, or gullible person; the root of the modern term 'jaywalking'.

- In the old story, the city man treated the country visitor like a jay.
- The term 'jaywalker' originally referred to a 'jay'—a person from the country who was too ignorant of city traffic to cross the street safely.

## Examples

- A blue jay landed on the fence this morning.
- The jay is known for its ability to mimic the calls of other birds, often tricking people into thinking a hawk is nearby.
- While the common jay is often dismissed as a noisy garden pest, its role in forest regeneration is vital due to its habit of burying acorns and forgetting their locations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.