jester
(ˈdʒɛstə(r))
Forms: 4–5 iestour, (6 iesture), 6 gester, -ar, (Sc. geister), (7 gestor), 6–7 ieaster, iester, 7– jester.
[f. jest v. + -er1; a variant spelling of gester.]
1. A professional reciter of romances. arch.
| c 1380–1496 [see gester]. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles ii. ii, Harper's strain And jester's tale went round in vain. a 1861 Mrs. Browning Summing up in Italy viii, Some pale feudal jester. |
2. A mimic, buffoon, or merry-andrew; any professed maker of amusement, esp. one maintained in a prince's court or nobleman's household.
| [c 1362 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 565 Cuidam Istrioni Jestour Jawdewyne in festo Natalis D'ni, 3s. 4d.] c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) E iij, Seke not to get glory nor lawdes vnto thee Of a common gester or bourder hauing name. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utop. i. (1895) 77 The cardinal..sent away the iester by a preuy beck. 1569 Nottingham Rec. IV. 133 To Lockewood, the Quen's Iester ijs. 1573–80 Baret Alv. G 164 A Gester, or dizard faining and counterfeiting all men's gestures, pantomimus. 1694 Luttrell Brief Rel. 13 Nov. (1857) III. 399 Mr. Henry Killigrew has a warrant to be jester to the King, with {pstlg}300 per ann. to be setled on him. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) V. 66 A small whole length of Archee, the king's jester. 1858 Doran Crt. Fools 162 The jester was now a higher personage than the fool. |
3. One who jests, or speaks or acts in jest; a person given to uttering jests or witticisms; a joker.
| c 1510 More Picus Wks. 11/1 The flesh chaungeth..the rauenous extorcioner in to a wolfe,..y⊇ mocking gester in to an ape. 1530 Palsgr. 224/2 Gestar a scoffer, raillevr. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. i. 218, I heare the Parson is no Iester. 1605 ― Lear v. iii. 71 Iesters do oft proue Prophets. 1728 Young Love Fame ii. 124 Dull is the jester, when the joke's unkind. 1866 Lowell Biglow Papers Introd., There is no imputation that could be more galling to any man's self-respect than that of being a mere jester. |
Hence ˈjestership, the office of a jester.
| 1858 Doran Crt. Fools 134 Patch was thus promoted to a court jestership. 1899 Academy 3 June 610/2 The triumph of my career was a jestership to a bishop. |