English Reference

Word

johnson

Phoneticsjohn·son

/ˈdʒɑnsən/

Definitions

01a surname

A1

n. a very common family name in English-speaking countries, especially the United States.

n. a common English-language patronymic surname meaning 'son of John'.

“Mr. Johnson is the new science teacher at our local high school.”

“The demographic study noted that Johnson remains one of the most prevalent surnames across several states in the American Midwest.”

02slang for penis

C2

n. a slang word for the penis.

n. a slang term referring to the penis.

“He made a crude joke about his johnson that made everyone feel awkward.”

“The character in the film used the term 'johnson' as a euphemism, reflecting a specific era of American colloquialism.”

Slang · Informal · American English

Usage

Usually used with a possessive pronoun like 'his'.

Synonyms

Etymology

A patronymic surname from John + -son, literally “son of John”. * In the U.S. the name Johnson has been adopted by numerous European immigrant families originally named Johansson, Johnsson, Johansen, Jonsson, etc. * Doublet of Johansson, Johansen, Jansen, and Hansen.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference