[syn: joke, jest]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Joke \Joke\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Joked; p. pr. & vb. n.
Joking.]
To make merry with; to make jokes upon; to rally; to banter;
as, to joke a comrade.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Joke \Joke\, v. i. [L. jocari.]
To do something for sport, or as a joke; to be merry in words
or actions; to jest.
[1913 Webster]
He laughed, shouted, joked, and swore. --Macaulay.
Syn: To jest; sport; rally; banter. See Jest.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Joke \Joke\, n. [L. jocus. Cf Jeopardy, Jocular, Juggler.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Something said for the sake of exciting a laugh; something
witty or sportive (commonly indicating more of hilarity or
humor than jest); a jest; a witticism; as, to crack
good-natured jokes.
[1913 Webster]
And gentle dullness ever loves a joke. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
Or witty joke our airy senses moves
To pleasant laughter. --Gay.
[1913 Webster]
2. Something not said seriously, or not actually meant;
something done in sport.
[1913 Webster]
Inclose whole downs in walls, 't is all a joke.
--Pope.
[1913 Webster]
In joke, in jest; sportively; not meant seriously.
Practical joke. See under Practical.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
joke
n 1: a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter;
"he told a very funny joke"; "he knows a million gags";
"thanks for the laugh"; "he laughed unpleasantly at his own
jest"; "even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to have some
ascertainable point" [syn: joke, gag, laugh, jest,
jape]
2: activity characterized by good humor [syn: jest, joke,
jocularity]
3: a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement [syn:
antic, joke, prank, trick, caper, put-on]
4: a triviality not to be taken seriously; "I regarded his
campaign for mayor as a joke"
v 1: tell a joke; speak humorously; "He often jokes even when he
appears serious" [syn: joke, jest]
2: act in a funny or teasing way [syn: joke, jest]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
188 Moby Thesaurus words for "joke":
a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn, a hoot, absurdity,
anecdote, antic, badinage, bagatelle, banter, bauble,
be merry with, bean, belly laugh, bibelot, bijouterie, bit,
blue story, bon mot, brass farthing, buffoon, burlesque, butt,
button, byword, byword of reproach, caper, caricature, cent, chaff,
crack, crack a joke, crack wise, curio, derision, dido, dirty joke,
dirty story, double entendre, drollery, dupe, ethnic joke,
exchange, facetiousness, fair game, farce, farthing, feather, fig,
figure of fun, fleabite, fleer at, folderol, fool, fooling,
fooling around, fribble, frippery, frolic, fun, funny story, gag,
game, gaud, gazingstock, gewgaw, gibe at, gimcrack, give-and-take,
goat, good one, good story, good-natured banter, hair, halfpenny,
harmless teasing, haze, hill of beans, howler, humor, humorousness,
jape, jest, jestbook, jestingstock, jive, jocoseness, jocularity,
jolly, josh, kickshaw, kid, kid around, kidding, kidding around,
knickknack, knickknackery, laugh, laughingstock, make a funny,
make fun, make fun of, minikin, mock, mockery, molehill, monkey,
monkeyshine, needle, panic, parody, peppercorn, persiflage,
picayune, pilgarlic, pin, pinch of snuff, pinprick, play,
play on words, pleasantry, point, poke fun at, prank, pun, put on,
quip, quiz, rag, raillery, rally, rallying, rap, razz, red cent,
repartee, rib, rib tickler, ride, ridicule, riot, roast,
row of pins, rush, sally, sarcasm, scintillate, scoff at, scream,
shit, sick joke, sidesplitter, sight gag, snap, sneeshing, sou,
sparkle, sport, stock, story, straw, target, taunt, tease, toy,
travesty, trifle, trinket, triviality, tuppence, twit, two cents,
twopence, utter a mot, victim, visual joke, waggery, wheeze,
whim-wham, wisecrack, wit, witticism, wittiness, wordplay, wow,
yak, yarn