juke
juke Lexical Profile
juke Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A deceptive movement or feint made by a ball carrier to trick a defending player, especially in American football.
"The running back executed a quick juke at the line of scrimmage to evade the linebacker."
American An informal roadside establishment in the southeastern United States featuring music, dancing, food, and drinks; a juke joint.
"Musicians gathered at the local juke on Saturday nights to play blues and dance."
• verb
North American To make a deceptive movement or feint in order to evade or trick an opponent (especially in sports).
"She juked left to throw the defender off balance before driving toward the goal."
American To dance energetically, especially to blues or jukebox music in a juke joint.
"Couples were juking on the wooden floor until the band played its final song."
• Rhymes for juke
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Gullah joog or juke, meaning 'disorderly' or 'wicked', which ultimately traces back to West African roots such as Wolof dzug ('to lead a disorderly life') and Bambara jugu ('wicked'). The word gave rise to 'juke joint' and 'jukebox', and later evolved in American sports to describe a deceptive bodily feint.