jestern.
/ˈdʒɛstə/, U.S. /ˈdʒɛstər/ 1. A professional reciter of romances. archaic.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > types of narrative or story generally > [noun] > story of exploits > teller of
gesterc1380
jesterc1380
c1380 Antecrist in Todd 3 Treat. Wyclif 128 Þei sitten in castels & townes wiþ mynstralcie & lauȝ tur, wiþ tregetours & tomblers, wiþ gestours & japeres.
c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame iii. 108 All manner of minstrales, And jestours, that tellen tales.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1872) IV. 101 Poetes and gestoures [L. carminatores] uppon a pulpet rehersede poysees, gestes and songes.
c1460 Launfal 430 Launfal..Fyfty fedde povere gestes..Fyfty clodede gestours.
1496 (c1410) Dives & Pauper (de Worde) i. iv. 36/1 His dedes ben tolde of heraudes and gestours.
1815 W. Scott Lord of Isles ii. ii. 44 Harper's strain And jester's tale went round in vain.
a1861 E. B. Browning Summing up in Italy viii Some pale feudal jester.
2. A mimic, buffoon, or merry-andrew; any professed maker of amusement, esp. one maintained in a prince's court or nobleman's household.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > performance of jester or comedian > [noun] > jester or comedian
jugglerc1175
foolc1300
jangler1303
fool sagec1330
ribald1340
ape-ward1362
japer1377
sage fool1377
harlotc1390
disporter?a1475
jocular?a1475
joculatora1500
jester?1518
idiot1526
scoffer1530
sporter1531
dizzardc1540
vice1552
antic1564
bauble-bearer1568
scoggin1579
buffoon1584
pleasant1595
zany1596
baladine1599
clown1600
fiddle1600
mimic1601
ape-carrier1615
mime1616
mime-man1631
merry man1648
tomfool1650
pickle-herring1656
badine1670
puddingc1675
merry-andrew1677
mimical1688
Tom Tram1688
Monaghan1689
pickled herring1711
ethologist1727
court-foola1797
Tom1817
mimer1819
fun-maker1835
funny man1839
mimester1846
comic1857
comedian1860
jokesman1882
comique1886
Joey1896
tummler1938
alternative comedian1981
Andrew-
the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [noun] > jest or pleasantry > one who jests or jokes > professional
japer1377
sage fool1377
harlotc1390
jocular?a1475
joculatora1500
jester?1518
bauble-bearer1568
buffoon1584
merry-andrew1677
court-foola1797
fun-maker1835
funny man1839
jokesman1882
?1362 in J. T. Fowler Extracts Acct. Rolls Abbey of Durham (1899) II. 565 Cuidam Istrioni Jestour Jawdewyne in festo Natalis D'ni, 3s. 4d.]
?1518 A. Barclay tr. D. Mancinus Myrrour Good Maners sig. Fiii Seke nat to get glory: nor lawdys vnto the Of a comon gester: or bourder hauynge name.
1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia i. sig. Eiv The cardinal..sent away the iester by a preuy beck.
1569 in W. H. Stevenson Rec. Borough Nottingham (1889) IV. 133 To Lockewood, the Quen's Iester ijs.
1574 J. Baret Aluearie G 157 A Gester or dizarde fayning and counterfeyting all mens iestures, pantomimus.
1694 N. Luttrell Diary 13 Nov. in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) III. 399 Mr. Henry Killigrew has a warrant to be jester to the King, with £300 per ann. to be setled on him.
1782 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Painting (ed. 3) V. 66 A small whole length of Archee, the king's jester.
1858 J. Doran Hist. Court Fools 162 The jester was now a higher personage than the fool.
3. One who jests, or speaks or acts in jest; a person given to uttering jests or witticisms; a joker.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [noun] > jest or pleasantry > one who jests or jokes
jangler1303
bourder1330
triflera1382
mower1440
jester?1510
dizzardc1540
patch1549
pleasant1595
fiddle1600
motleya1605
banterer1678
morosoph1693
joker1729
farceur1781
funster1788
plaisanteur1828
cut-up1843
kibitzer1925
?1510 T. More in tr. G. F. Pico della Mirandola Lyfe I. Picus sig. c.iv Ye flessh chaungeth..ye rauenous extorcioner in to a wolfe..the mokking gester in to an ape.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 224/2 Gestar a scoffer, raillevr.
1602 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor ii. i. 196 The Doctor is no Iester.
1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 70 Iesters doe oft proue Prophets. View more context for this quotation
1728 E. Young Love of Fame: Universal Passion (ed. 2) ii. 124 Dull is the jester, when the joke's unkind.
1867 J. R. Lowell Biglow Papers 2nd Ser. (new ed.) Introd. p. x There is no imputation that could be more galling to any man's self-respect than that of being a mere jester.
Derivatives
ˈjestership n. the office of a jester.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > performance of jester or comedian > [noun] > jester or comedian > condition of
clownship1606
jestership1858
the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [noun] > jest or pleasantry > one who jests or jokes > professional > office of
foolship1612
jestership1858
1858 J. Doran Hist. Court Fools 134 Patch was thus promoted to a court jestership.
1899 Academy 3 June 610/2 The triumph of my career was a jestership to a bishop.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.c1380