United States diplomat and jurist who negotiated peace treaties with Britain and served as the first chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1745-1829)
"Many legal historians trace the origins of federal judicial independence to Jay, whose landmark treaty with Britain set a crucial precedent for American diplomacy."
crested largely blue bird
"The jay landed on my feeder, its bright crest bobbing as it snatched a sunflower seed from my hand."
Any one of the numerous species of birds belonging to several genera within the family Corvidae, including Garrulus, Cyanocitta, Aphelocoma, Perisoreus, Cyanocorax, Gymnorhinus, Cyanolyca, Ptilostomus, and Calocitta, allied to the crows, but smaller, more graceful in form, often handsomely coloured, usually having a crest, and often noisy.
"Make sure to write your last initial in jay so I can find your file easily."
The name of the Latin-script letter J .
In plain English: A jay is a type of noisy bird that looks similar to a blue jay but has different coloring and habits.
"The jay flew down from the oak tree to steal a peanut from the feeder."
Usage: Do not use "jay" to mean the letter J; that word refers specifically to a type of noisy blue-black bird or, informally, an inexperienced person. Use it only when describing the bird itself or as part of specific names like a jaywalker.
An English surname, from nicknames from Old French jai (“jay (bird)”), a nickname for a chatty or showy person.
"The teacher announced that our new student, Jay, would be taking over Mr. Henderson's homeroom class today."
A diminutive of the male given names James or Jason, or for any name beginning with ⟨J⟩; also used as a formal given name.
The word jay comes from Middle English and Old French, where it was originally named for the bird's colorful plumage. Its ultimate roots lie in Germanic words meaning "quick" or "impetuous," suggesting a connection to the bird's lively nature.