n. 1. Music a. A style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom. b. Big band dance music. 2. Slang a. Animation; enthusiasm. b. Nonsense. c. Miscellaneous, unspecified things: brought the food and all the jazz to go with it. v. jazzed, jazz·ing, jazz·es v.tr. 1. Music To play in a jazz style. 2. Slang a. To utter exaggerations or lies to: Don't jazz me. b. To give great pleasure to; excite: The surprise party jazzed the guest of honor. c. To cause to accelerate. v.intr. Phrasal Verb: Slang To exaggerate or lie. jazz up Slang To make more interesting; enliven: jazzed up the living area with beaded curtains. [Originally, vim, vigor, pep, copulation, semen, perhaps shortening of earlier jasm, vim, vigor and akin to JISM.] jazzer n. jazzish adj. |
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