Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Suitable or satisfactory; fine.
  • noun A firefighter.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective slang Adequate; satisfactory; acceptable.
  • noun US A juvenile male turkey.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Perhaps from Jake, nickname for Jacob, or from J-key, a portable telegraph key used by firefighters to communicate with the fire station from local telegraph fireboxes.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • Syn for okay as in, "Everything is jake."

    February 3, 2007

  • Uncouth v. fine.

    May 24, 2008

  • "Jake" wasn't actually on the list of "Pansies," but I put it there because there isn't really a better place for it. Definition:

    "Extract of Jamaica ginger, a patent medicine with a high alcohol content, found favor with a certain class of drinker during Prohibition. Unfortunately, 'jake,' as it was called, contained a neurotoxin that caused its devotees to lose the use of their hands and feet." (Article citation and link in "The Pansies" list description.)

    See also jake-foot, the condition it caused.

    June 3, 2009

  • Wow. Scary.

    June 3, 2009