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jargon1 definition

jar·gon (jär′gən)

noun

  1. incoherent speech; gibberish
  2. a language or dialect unknown to one so that it seems incomprehensible or outlandish
  3. a mixed or hybrid language or dialect; esp., pidgin
  4. the specialized vocabulary and idioms of those in the same work, profession, etc., as of sportswriters or social workers: a somewhat derogatory term, often implying unintelligibility
  5. speech or writing full of long, unfamiliar, or roundabout words or phrases

Etymology: ME < MFr, a chattering (of birds): ult. of echoic orig.

intransitive verb

jargonize

Related Forms:

jargon2 definition

jar·gon (jär′gän′)

noun

a colorless or smoky variety of zircon
also called jargoon jar·goon′ (-go̵̅o̅n′)

Etymology: Fr < It giargone < Ar zarqūn: see zircon

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

jargon Synonyms

jargon

n.

  1. Unintelligible, trite, or pretentious speech

    gibberish, mumbo jumbo, bombast, gobbledygook*; see cliché, nonsense 1.

  2. Hybrid language

    patois, dialect, idiom, pidgin English, broken English, creole, vernacular, koine, lingua franca, Chinook jargon, calque, lingo*; see also dialect, language 1.

  3. Specialized vocabulary

    argot, shoptalk, slang, colloquialism, neologism, coined word, coinage, cant, buzzword, officialese, legalese, bureaucratese, journalese, computerese, novelese, academese, medicalese, businesspeak, newspeak, pig Latin, dog Latin, patter, localism, rhyming slang, doubletalk, doublespeak, double Dutch, thieves' Latin, peddler's French, lingo*, gobbledygook*, slanguage*, psychobabble*, technobabble*; see also dialect, slang. See syn. study at dialect.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

jargon Usage Examples

Converse of subject

  • confuse: Often people do not make a will because they are confused by the lengthy legal jargon.

Converse of object

  • demystify: We will explain the major provisions of the legislation and attempt to demystify accompanying jargon often used by privacy professionals.

Adjective modifier

  • incomprehensible: First spend 20 minutes talking loudly to him in incomprehensible jargon.

Modifies a noun

  • buster: To use the jargon buster click on a relevant button above to list entries by the first letter.

Noun used with modifier

  • computer: In computer jargon D is called the least significant byte.
jargon usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

jargon quotes

What is it about sociology that instantly bogsus down in fens of jargon?

-Baker, Russell Wayne

jargon quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"jargon." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/jargon>

APA Style

jargon. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/jargon

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