ENGLISH
REFERENCE

jazz

n. uncountable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈdʒæz// UK //dʒˈæz// jazz Archaic General-service Slang

n. a style of music that started in the US with strong rhythms and musicians who often make up the notes as they play. In casual talk, you can also use it to mean 'similar things' or 'nonsense'.

n. a genre of music originating in African American communities, characterized by improvisation, syncopated rhythms, and complex harmonies. In informal register, it functions as a collective noun for miscellaneous related items or empty talk.


SIMPLE

She loves listening to jazz while she cooks dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

The band played smooth jazz all night, occasionally stopping for a long saxophone solo.

COMPLEX

While the festival focuses on traditional jazz, it also incorporates modern fusion acts that blend electronic beats with classic brass arrangements.

Synonyms
Origin

Unknown. First attested around 1912 in a discussion of baseball; attested in reference to music around 1915. Numerous references suggest that the term may be connected to jasm and jism.

Usage

When used to mean 'miscellaneous things', it often appears in the phrase 'and all that jazz'.

Idioms2 entries

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