juggle
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English jogelen, partly a back-formation of Middle English jogeler (“juggler”), and partly a borrowing from Old French jogler, jongler (“to have fun with someone”), a conflation of Latin joculāri (“to jest; joke”) and Old French jangler (“to regale; entertain; have fun; trifle with; tease; mess around; gossip; boast; meddle”), from Frankish *jangalōn (“to chit-chat with; gossip”), akin to Middle Dutch jankelen (“to murmur; whisper; mumble; grumble”), frequentative of Middle Dutch janken (“to moan; groan; complain”). Related also to Middle Low German janken (“to sigh; moan; lament”), Dutch jengelen (“to whine; whimper”) Dutch janken (“to whine; wimper”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]juggle (third-person singular simple present juggles, present participle juggling, simple past and past participle juggled)
- To manipulate objects, such as balls, clubs, beanbags, rings, etc. in an artful or artistic manner.
- She can juggle flaming torches.
- (dated, intransitive) To perform various magic tricks or circus skills such as the diabolo, devil sticks, hat, and cigar box manipulation.
- 1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados:
- God alone knows where he came from, but he was in the camp one evening juggling for stray coppers in a bowl. Pretty good juggling too it seemed to be, of the usual Indian kind—growing a plant out of a pumpkin seed, turning a stick into a live snake, and the old sword and basket trick that every Eastern conjurer keeps up his sleeve; […]
- To handle or manage many tasks at once.
- He juggled home, school, and work for two years.
- (ambitransitive) To deceive by trick or artifice.
- I think they are juggling the company's books.
- 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
- Is't possible the spells of France should juggle / Men into such strange mysteries?
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene viii]:
- Be these juggling fiends no more believed.
- (intransitive, archaic) To joke or jest.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]manipulate objects artistically
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to handle or manage many tasks at once
|
Noun
[edit]juggle (plural juggles)
- (juggling) The act of throwing and catching each prop at least twice, as opposed to a flash.
- The handling or managing of many tasks at once.
- 2018, Catherine Blyth, Enjoy Time, page 100:
- Quit the juggle and monotask.
- (archaic) The performance of a magic trick.
- (archaic) A deceit or imposture.
- 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula:
- I could not believe that she was dead. The lips were red, nay redder than before; and on the cheeks was a delicate bloom. “Is this a juggle?” I said to him.
Translations
[edit]The act of throwing and catching
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The handling or managing of many tasks at once
See also
[edit]Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Frankish
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ʌɡəl
- Rhymes:English/ʌɡəl/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English dated terms
- English intransitive verbs
- English terms with quotations
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with archaic senses
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Juggling