jawbone
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Noun[edit]
jawbone (countable and uncountable, plural jawbones)
- (countable) The bone of the lower jaw; the mandible.
- (countable) Any of the bones in the lower or upper jaw.
- (countable, singular or plural, music) A shaken musical instrument (an idiophone) made from the jawbone of an animal and shaken such that the teeth vibrate in their sockets to produce sound.
- (uncountable, slang, archaic) Credit.
- 1862, October 21, Times Correspondent
- We have a few persons whose pockets are to let—men who have more complaints than dollars—individuals who, in digger's parlance, live on jawbone (credit), and are always to be found at saloons; a class of men who, when they are here, wish themselves yonder, and when yonder, wish themselves back.
- 1862, October 21, Times Correspondent
Synonyms[edit]
- (the bone of the lower jaw): inferior maxillary bone, lower jaw, mandible, submaxilla
- (any bone in the lower or upper jaw): dentary, dentary bone, maxilla
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
bone of the lower jaw
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any of the bones in the jaw
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Verb[edit]
jawbone (third-person singular simple present jawbones, present participle jawboning, simple past and past participle jawboned)
- To talk persistently in an attempt to persuade somebody to cooperate.
Translations[edit]
to persuade
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