jape

jape
    n 1: a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter;
         "he told a very funny joke"; "he knows a million gags";
         "thanks for the laugh"; "he laughed unpleasantly at his own
         jest"; "even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to have some
         ascertainable point" [syn: {joke}, {gag}, {laugh}, {jest},
         {jape}]
    

Jape \Jape\, v. i. [Prob. from the same source as gab,
   influenced by F. japper to yelp. See {Gab} to deceive.]
   To jest; to play tricks; to jeer. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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Jape \Jape\, v. t.
   To mock; to trick. --Chaucer.
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         I have not been putting a jape upon you. --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
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         The coy giggle of the young lady to whom he has
         imparted his latest merry jape.          --W. Besant.
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129 Moby Thesaurus words for "jape":
      Parthian shot, back answer, badinage, banter, barrack,
      be merry with, belly laugh, blue story, caustic remark, chaff,
      comeback, crack, crack a joke, crack wise, cut, cut at,
      cutting remark, dig, dig at, dirty joke, dirty story,
      double entendre, drollery, dump, dump on, ethnic joke, exchange,
      fleer, fleer at, flout, foolery, fooling, fooling around, fun,
      funny story, gag, gibe, gibe at, gibing retort, give-and-take,
      good one, good story, good-natured banter, harmless teasing, haze,
      howler, jab, jab at, jeer, jest, jestbook, jive, joke, jolly, josh,
      kid, kid around, kidding, kidding around, laugh, leg-pull,
      make a funny, make fun, make fun of, mock, needle, panic,
      parting shot, persiflage, play, play on words, pleasantry, point,
      poke fun at, pooh, pooh-pooh, pun, put down, put on, put-down,
      put-on, quip, rag, rail at, raillery, rally, rallying, rank out,
      razz, revile, rib, rib tickler, ride, ridicule, riot, roast,
      rude reproach, scintillate, scoff, scoff at, scout, scream,
      scurrility, short answer, sick joke, sidesplitter, sight gag, slam,
      slap, slap at, sneer, sneer at, sparkle, sport, story, swipe,
      taunt, tease, twit, utter a mot, verbal thrust, visual joke,
      waggery, wheeze, wisecrack, witticism, wow, yak, yarn