jemmy
jemmy Lexical Profile
jemmy Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A short crowbar with a curved or chiseled end, typically used by burglars to force open windows or doors.
"The inspector noted scratch marks on the doorframe where a jemmy had been used to force the lock."
British A baked sheep's head prepared as food (now chiefly historical or regional).
"In Victorian London, a baked jemmy sold by street vendors was a cheap and filling meal for the working poor."
• verb
British To force open a window, door, or container using a short crowbar or similar lever.
"Someone had tried to jemmy the back window of the shop during the night."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Jemmy" is the standard British English spelling and pronunciation, whereas "jimmy" is used in North American English for both the tool and the verb.
• Rhymes for jemmy
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating to the early 19th century in British thieves' cant, "jemmy" is a pet form of the personal name "James," following a common English pattern of giving human nicknames to everyday tools (such as "jack" or "jenny").