Chapter Jervine to Jewish of J by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything.

He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

Shak.

Syn. — To joke; sport; rally. — To Jest, Joke. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. "Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest." Crabb.

Jester
(Jest"er), n. [Cf. Gestour.]

1. A buffoon; a merry-andrew; a court fool.

This . . . was Yorick's skull, the king's jester.

Shak.

Dressed in the motley garb that jesters wear.

Longfellow.

2. A person addicted to jesting, or to indulgence in light and amusing talk.

He ambled up and down
With shallow jesters.

Shak.

Jestful
(Jest"ful) a. Given to jesting; full of jokes.

Jesting
(Jest"ing), a. Sportive; not serious; fit for jests.

He will find that these are no jesting matters.

Macaulay.

Jesting
(Jest"ing), n. The act or practice of making jests; joking; pleasantry. Eph. v. 4.

Jestingly
(Jest"ing*ly), adv. In a jesting manner.

Jesuit
(Jes"u*it) n. [F. Jésuite, Sp. Jesuita: cf. It. Gesuita.]

1. (R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order founded by Ignatius Loyola, and approved in 1540, under the title of The Society of Jesus.

The order consists of Scholastics, the Professed, the Spiritual Coadjutors, and the Temporal Coadjutors or Lay Brothers. The Jesuit novice after two years becomes a Scholastic, and takes his first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience simply. Some years after, at the close of a second novitiate, he takes his second vows and is ranked among the Coadjutors or Professed. The Professed are bound by a fourth vow, from which only the pope can dispense, requiring them to go wherever the pope may send them for missionary duty. The Coadjutors teach in the schools, and are employed in general missionary labors. The Society is governed by a General who holds office for life. He has associated with him "Assistants" (five at the present time), representing different provinces. The Society was first established in the United States in 1807. The Jesuits have displayed in their enterprises a high degree of zeal, learning, and skill, but, by their enemies, have been generally reputed to use art and intrigue in promoting or accomplishing their purposes, whence the words Jesuit, Jesuitical, and the like, have acquired an opprobrious sense.

2. Fig.: A crafty person; an intriguer.

Jesuits' bark, Peruvian bark, or the bark of certain species of Cinchona; — so called because its medicinal properties were first made known in Europe by Jesuit missionaries to South America. — Jesuits' drops. See Friar's balsam, under Friar. — Jesuits' nut, the European water chestnut. — Jesuits' powder, powdered cinchona bark. — Jesuits' tea, a Chilian leguminous shrub, used as a tea and medicinally.