joey
nounnounnounnounnouncommon in dialogue
- //ˈd͡ʒoʊ.i//
The immature young of a marsupial, notably a junior kangaroo, but also a young wallaby, koala, etc.
noun
- 1
The immature young of a marsupial, notably a junior kangaroo, but also a young wallaby, koala, etc.
As soon as a joey is born, it crawls into its mother's pouch. The joey grows in the pouch.
- 2
slangA young child.
- 3
slangA parcel smuggled in to an inmate.
"Visit in two days though," said Tommo. "Hang in there mate, got a joey coming, we'll be sweet then."
- 4
Variant of joey wordEllipsis of joey word.
Among the kangaroo words that yield the most joviality and joy are those that conceal multiple joeys.
Sometimes a kangaroo word has more than one joey.
Etymology
Unknown. Older and more general sources state that joey comes from an Australian Aboriginal language (cited as joè), but newer sources that focus on Australian English and Aboriginal languages say the origin is unknown. The Australian National Dictionary includes a sense of “young possum” with citations predating the earliest “young kangaroo” citations.
noun
- 1
A kind of clown.
Etymology
From Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837), a popular English entertainer.
noun
- 1
slangA member of the Royal Marines.
noun
- 1
datedA person with cerebral palsy.
- 2
datedA stupid person.
Etymology
From British TV personality Joey Deacon (1920–1981), who was the focus of Blue Peter's 1981 charity campaign. The programme was aimed at children, who then picked the term up and used it as an insult.
noun
- 1
obsoleteA fourpenny piece, or its value; fourpence worth.
a joey of brandy
Etymology
Said to have been named after Scottish politician Joseph Hume (1777–1855).
Forms
- plural
- joeys
joey · The immature young of a marsupial, notably a junior kangaroo, but also a young wallaby, koala, etc.
Joey · A diminutive of the male given names Joe or Joseph.jog · An energetic trot, slower than a run, often used as a form of…jogging · The action of the verb to jog.