joke

joke
    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}]
    2: activity characterized by good humor [syn: {jest}, {joke},
       {jocularity}]
    3: a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement [syn:
       {antic}, {joke}, {prank}, {trick}, {caper}, {put-on}]
    4: a triviality not to be taken seriously; "I regarded his
       campaign for mayor as a joke"
    v 1: tell a joke; speak humorously; "He often jokes even when he
         appears serious" [syn: {joke}, {jest}]
    2: act in a funny or teasing way [syn: {joke}, {jest}]
    

Joke \Joke\, v. i. [L. jocari.]
   To do something for sport, or as a joke; to be merry in words
   or actions; to jest.
   [1913 Webster]

         He laughed, shouted, joked, and swore.   --Macaulay.

   Syn: To jest; sport; rally; banter. See {Jest}.
        [1913 Webster]
    

Joke \Joke\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Joked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Joking}.]
   To make merry with; to make jokes upon; to rally; to banter;
   as, to joke a comrade.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Joke \Joke\, n. [L. jocus. Cf {Jeopardy}, {Jocular}, {Juggler}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. Something said for the sake of exciting a laugh; something
      witty or sportive (commonly indicating more of hilarity or
      humor than jest); a jest; a witticism; as, to crack
      good-natured jokes.
      [1913 Webster]

            And gentle dullness ever loves a joke. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

            Or witty joke our airy senses moves
            To pleasant laughter.                 --Gay.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Something not said seriously, or not actually meant;
      something done in sport.
      [1913 Webster]

            Inclose whole downs in walls, 't is all a joke.
                                                  --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   {In joke}, in jest; sportively; not meant seriously.

   {Practical joke}. See under {Practical}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

188 Moby Thesaurus words for "joke":
      a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn, a hoot, absurdity,
      anecdote, antic, badinage, bagatelle, banter, bauble,
      be merry with, bean, belly laugh, bibelot, bijouterie, bit,
      blue story, bon mot, brass farthing, buffoon, burlesque, butt,
      button, byword, byword of reproach, caper, caricature, cent, chaff,
      crack, crack a joke, crack wise, curio, derision, dido, dirty joke,
      dirty story, double entendre, drollery, dupe, ethnic joke,
      exchange, facetiousness, fair game, farce, farthing, feather, fig,
      figure of fun, fleabite, fleer at, folderol, fool, fooling,
      fooling around, fribble, frippery, frolic, fun, funny story, gag,
      game, gaud, gazingstock, gewgaw, gibe at, gimcrack, give-and-take,
      goat, good one, good story, good-natured banter, hair, halfpenny,
      harmless teasing, haze, hill of beans, howler, humor, humorousness,
      jape, jest, jestbook, jestingstock, jive, jocoseness, jocularity,
      jolly, josh, kickshaw, kid, kid around, kidding, kidding around,
      knickknack, knickknackery, laugh, laughingstock, make a funny,
      make fun, make fun of, minikin, mock, mockery, molehill, monkey,
      monkeyshine, needle, panic, parody, peppercorn, persiflage,
      picayune, pilgarlic, pin, pinch of snuff, pinprick, play,
      play on words, pleasantry, point, poke fun at, prank, pun, put on,
      quip, quiz, rag, raillery, rally, rallying, rap, razz, red cent,
      repartee, rib, rib tickler, ride, ridicule, riot, roast,
      row of pins, rush, sally, sarcasm, scintillate, scoff at, scream,
      shit, sick joke, sidesplitter, sight gag, snap, sneeshing, sou,
      sparkle, sport, stock, story, straw, target, taunt, tease, toy,
      travesty, trifle, trinket, triviality, tuppence, twit, two cents,
      twopence, utter a mot, victim, visual joke, waggery, wheeze,
      whim-wham, wisecrack, wit, witticism, wittiness, wordplay, wow,
      yak, yarn