joker

See also: Joker and jóker

English

Etymology

From joke +‎ -er, but in the sense of a playing card possibly by alteration of German Jucker, also the origin of the name of the card game euchre.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒəʊkə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒoʊkɚ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊkə(ɹ)

A joker playing card

Noun

joker (plural jokers)

1. A person who makes jokes.
2. (slang) A funny person.
3. A jester.

   Synonyms: court jester, fool, jester

4. A playing card that features a picture of a joker (that is, a jester) and that may be used as a wild card in some card games.
5. (figurative) Something kept in reserve that can be used to gain an advantage; a trump card.
   • 2008 September 18, Ian Rankin, The Hanging Garden: The #1 bestselling series that inspired BBC One’s REBUS, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     Rebus decided to use their joker. 'Mr Lintz made a phone call to this office. He was talking for over twenty minutes.'

   • 2012 January 1, Simon Packham, Silenced, Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd., →ISBN:

     Tash Wilson played her 'joker' , pulling her chair so close our legs were almost touching. 'Hey, Chris, do you want to go out sometime? All you've got to do is say the word.'

   • 2016 October 17, Dipo Adesida, My French Teacher Had an Igbo Accent: An Inspiring Collection of Memories, Memoirs and Mischiefs, Partridge Africa, →ISBN:

     The director made me understand that my bubble of stardom could burst just as soon as it had been inflated if I didn't watch my attitude. Then he used his joker. I had an understudy so if I messed up or tried to create a scene, I would be summarily replaced.

6. An unspecified, vaguely disreputable person.

   Synonym: clown

   Some joker keeps throwing eggs at my windows.

   1. A loser.

      Don't waste your breath on these jokers round here.

7. (New Zealand, colloquial) A man.
8. A clause in a contract that undermines its apparent provisions.
   • 1922, Farm Machinery and Equipment, page lxxxiii:

     Discussion of contracts and the many provisions contained therein led to a vote making it the sense of the convention that manufacturers should use a simple sales contract, free from jokers.

   • 1939, Canadian Parliament, Official Report of Debates, House of Commons, volume 218, page 858:

     Then, sir, on page 12 of the agreement there is a joker clause, which provides for payments in addition to the ten per cent, […]

   • 1942, Billboard, volume 54, number 41, page 5:

     Stone claimed that there was a Joker in the contract, one clause (No. 2) calling for two weeks' notice and another (No. 8) calling for payment on a par-day basis after the first two weeks.

   • 1958, Duncan Leroy Kennedy, Bill drafting, page 12:

     The object of these provisions is to prevent insertion of "jokers" or "sleepers" in bills and securing passage under the false color of the title.

9. (military) A friendly unit that acts as a suspected hostile unit in a military excercise.
   • 1998, APP-6A: Military Symbols for Land-Based Systems, page 9:

     Joker - A friendly track or contact acting as a "suspect" track for exercise purposes only. (STANAG 1241)

10. The option, in a pub quiz, of selecting one particular round in which one's team will score double points.

    We used our joker as soon as the topic of sports was announced, since we are sport experts.

11. (chess) A fairy chess piece that moves like the last piece that was moved by the opponent.
    • 2018 October 12, aabicus, “My 7 Favorite Fairy Chess Pieces”, in The Daily SPUF‎^[1]:

      The problem is that it would be difficult to use a joker offensively since you could never know how it was going to move, meaning it’d be most useful setting it up for potential queen/rook captures to disincentivize your opponent from moving those pieces.

Derived terms

• cosmic joker
• joker in the pack
• joker lap
• practical joker
• video joker

Related terms

• joke

Translations

person who makes jokes

• Albanian: gaztor (sq) m, hokatar (sq) m, shakaxhi (sq) m
• Amharic: ፌዘኛ m or f (fezäña)
• Belarusian: жартаўні́к m (žartawník), жартаўні́ца f (žartawníca)
• Bulgarian: шегоби́ец (bg) m (šegobíec), шегоби́йка f (šegobíjka), шегаджи́я (bg) m (šegadžíja), шегаджи́йка f (šegadžíjka)
• Czech: šprýmař m, šprýmařka f, vtipálek (cs) m
• Danish: spasmager c, spøgefugl c, drillepind c
• Esperanto: ŝercemulo
• Finnish: vitsiniekka (fi), vitsailija (fi)
• French: blagueur (fr) m, farceur (fr) m
• Galician: carallán (gl)
• Georgian: ხუმარა (ka) (xumara)
• German: Spaßvogel (de) m
• Ingrian: koiruin, hirvihammas, šuutkuri
• Irish: áilteoir m
• Italian: buffone (it) m, buffone di corte m
• Kazakh: әзілкеш (äzılkeş), қалжыңбас (qaljyñbas), әзілқой (äzılqoi)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: نوکتەباز (nuktebaz)

• Kyrgyz: тамашакөй (tamaşaköy)
• Lao: ນັກຕະຫລົກ (nak ta lok)
• Latin: ioculātor (la) m
• Latvian: jokdaris (lv) m
• Macedonian: шегобиец m (šegobiec), шегобијка f (šegobijka), зевзек m (zevzek)
• Maltese: buffu m, buffa f, ċajtier m, ċajtiera f
• Pashto: ټوکي (ps) m (ṭoki)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: شوخ (fa) (šux)

• Polish: żartowniś (pl) m, dowcipniś (pl) m, błazen (pl) m
• Portuguese: humorista (pt) m or f
• Russian: шутни́к (ru) m (šutník), шутни́ца (ru) f (šutníca), остря́к (ru) m (ostrják), остря́чка (ru) f (ostrjáčka)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Latin: vragolan (sh) m, šutnik m, šaljivac (sh) m

• Slovak: vtipkár (sk) m
• Slovene: šaljivec m, šaljivka f
• Spanish: bromista (es) m or f, guasón (es) m, chistoso (es) m, humorista m or f, chistosito m
• Swedish: skämtare (sv) c, skojare (sv) c, narr (sv) c
• Tajik: хазлбоз (xazlboz), шӯх (šüx)
• Thai: นักแสดงตลก, ตัวตลก (th) (dtuua-dtà-lòk)
• Turkish: şakacı (tr), latifeci (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: لطیفه‌جی (latifeci)

• Ukrainian: жартівни́к m (žartivnýk), жартівни́ця f (žartivnýcja)
• Uzbek: hazilkash (uz), qiziqchi (uz), masxaraboz (uz)
• Yiddish: לץ m (lets), לצעכע f (leytsekhe)

jester — see fool

playing card

• Albanian: xhol (sq) m, joker m
• Arabic: جُوكَر m (jūkar)
• Armenian: ջոկեր (hy) (ǰoker)
• Belarusian: джо́кер m (džókjer)
• Bulgarian: жо́кер m (žóker), джо́кер m (džóker)
• Catalan: comodí (ca), jòquer (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 小丑牌 (siu² cau² paai^4-2), 鬼牌 (gwai² paai^4-2), 皇牌 (wong⁴ paai^4-2)

  Mandarin: 皇牌 (huángpái), 鬼牌 (guǐpái), 小丑牌 (xiǎochǒupái), 百搭牌 (bǎidāpái)

• Czech: žolík (cs) m
• Danish: joker c
• Dutch: joker (nl) m
• Esperanto: ĵokero
• Estonian: jokker
• Finnish: jokeri (fi)
• French: joker (fr) m
• Georgian: ჯოკერი (ǯoḳeri)
• German: Joker (de) m, Jolly m
• Greek: μπαλαντέρ (el) m (balantér)
• Hebrew: ג׳וֹקֶר m (jóker)
• Hindi: जोकर m (jokar)
• Hungarian: dzsóker (hu)
• Irish: cleasaí m, fear na gcrúb m, an buachaill mór m
• Italian: jolly (it) m, matta (it)
• Japanese: ジョーカー (ja) (jōkā)
• Kazakh: джокер (djoker)
• Korean: 조커 (ko) (jokeo)
• Kyrgyz: джокер (djoker)
• Lao: ໂຈກເກີ (chōk kœ̄), ໄພ້ໂຈກເກີ (phaichōk kœ̄)
• Macedonian: џокер m (džoker)
• Maltese: ġowker
• Māori: kēhua
• Marathi: जोकर m (jokar)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: please add this translation if you can

• Navajo: jéíg
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: joker (no) m

• Ojibwe: joka
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: جوکِر (joker)

• Polish: joker (pl) m, dżoker (pl) m
• Portuguese: curinga (pt) m (Brazil), jóquer (pt) m (Portugal) melé m (regional Brazil)
• Romanian: joker (ro) m
• Russian: джо́кер (ru) m (džóker)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: џо̀кер m

  Latin: džòker (sh) m

• Slovak: žolík m
• Slovene: džoker m
• Spanish: comodín (es) m
• Swedish: joker (sv) c
• Thai: โจ๊กเกอร์ (th) (jóok-gə̂ə), ไพ่โจ๊กเกอร์
• Turkish: joker (tr)
• Ukrainian: джо́кер m (džóker)
• Urdu: جوکَر (jokar)

See also

• 🂿, 🃏, 🃟

Playing cards in English · playing cards (layout · text)
ace	deuce, two	three, trey	four, cater	five, cinque	six	seven
eight	nine	ten	jack, knave	queen	king	joker

Further reading

• Jester on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Joker (playing card) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Joker (character) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• S. Emmerson, A Glossary of Fairy Chess Definitions

Anagrams

• Rojek, jerko

Danish

Etymology

From English joker.

Noun

joker c (singular definite jokeren, plural indefinite jokere)

1. joker (playing card)

Declension

Declension of joker

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	joker	jokeren	jokere	jokerne
genitive	jokers	jokerens	jokeres	jokernes

See also

Playing cards in Danish · kort, spillekort (layout · text)
es	toer	treer	firer	femmer	sekser	syver
otter	nier	tier	knægt, bonde	dame, dronning	konge	joker

Further reading

• “joker” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

Orthographic borrowing from English joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjoːkər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oːkər

Noun

joker m (plural jokers, diminutive jokertje n)

1. joker (playing card)
2. any wild card or similar, even in non-card games

Derived terms

• jokeren
• voor joker staan

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒɔ.kɛʁ/

  • Audio (France (Vosges)):

    (file)

• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /dʒo.kœʁ/, [dʒoʊ̯.kœʁ]

  • Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

    (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

joker m (plural jokers)

1. (card games) joker
2. (computing) wildcard
3. (on a game show) lifeline
4. (Scrabble) blank tile

Further reading

• “joker”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Indonesian

Etymology

From English joker.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒokər/ [ˈd͡ʒo.kər]
• Rhymes: -okər
• Syllabification: jo‧ker

Noun

jokêr (plural joker)

1. joker (playing card)

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

English jokerubor.

Polish joker

Unadapted borrowing from English joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʐɔ.kɛr/
• Rhymes: -ɔkɛr
• Syllabification: jo‧ker

Noun

joker m animal

1. (card games) alternative spelling of dżoker

Declension

Declension of joker

	singular	plural
nominative	joker	jokery
genitive	jokera	jokerów
dative	jokerowi	jokerom
accusative	jokera	jokery
instrumental	jokerem	jokerami
locative	jokerze	jokerach
vocative	jokerze	jokery

Further reading

• “joker”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “joker”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).keʁ/ [ˈd͡ʒo(ʊ̯).keh]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).keʁ/ [ˈd͡ʒo(ʊ̯).keh]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).keɾ/ [ˈd͡ʒo(ʊ̯).keɾ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).keʁ/ [ˈd͡ʒo(ʊ̯).keχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).keɻ/ [ˈd͡ʒo(ʊ̯).keɻ]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).kɛɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo(w).kɛɾ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒow.kɛɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo.kɛɾ/

• Hyphenation: jo‧ker

Noun

joker m (plural jokers)

1. alternative form of jóquer

See also

Playing cards in Portuguese · cartas de baralho (layout · text)
ás	dois, duque	três, terno	quatro, quadra	cinco, quina	seis, sena	sete, bisca, manilha
oito	nove	dez	valete	dama, rainha	rei	jóquer, curinga

Further reading

• “joker”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French joker, English joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒo.kər/

Noun

joker m (plural jokeri)

1. (card games) joker

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	joker	jokerul	jokeri	jokerii
genitive-dative	joker	jokerului	jokeri	jokerilor
vocative	jokerule		jokerilor

Swedish

Etymology

From English joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjoːkɛr/

Noun

joker c

1. (card games) joker

Declension

Declension of joker

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	joker	jokers
	definite	jokern	jokerns
plural	indefinite	jokrar	jokrars
	definite	jokrarna	jokrarnas

See also

Playing cards in Swedish · kort (layout · text)
ess, äss	tvåa, två	trea, tre	fyra	femma, fem	sexa, sex	sjua, sju
åtta	nia, nio	tia, tio	knekt	dam	kung	joker

References

• “joker”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “joker”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “joker”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from English joker, likely via French joker.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʒo.ceɾ/, /ʒoˈceɾ/
• Hyphenation: jo‧ker

Noun

joker (definite accusative jokeri, plural jokerler)

1. (card games) joker
2. (figurative) joker, trump card, something kept in reserve that can be used to gain an advantage

Declension

Declension of joker

	singular	plural
nominative	joker	jokerler
definite accusative	jokeri	jokerleri
dative	jokere	jokerlere
locative	jokerde	jokerlerde
ablative	jokerden	jokerlerden
genitive	jokerin	jokerlerin

See also

Playing cards in Turkish · iskambil (layout · text)
as, birli	ikili	üçlü	dörtlü	beşli	altılı	yedili
sekizli	dokuzlu	onlu	bacak, oğlan, vale, fanti	kız	papaz, rua	joker

Further reading

• “joker”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Ayverdi, İlhan (2010), “joker”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “joker”, in Nişanyan Sözlük