jiff
English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d͡ʒɪf/
Audio (General Australian): (file) - Homophone: gif
- Rhymes: -ɪf
Etymology 1
Clipping of jiffy.
Noun
jiff (plural jiffs)
- (informal) A jiffy; a moment; a short time.
- Synonyms: instant, mo, sec, tick; see also Thesaurus:moment
- 1918 [1915], Thomas Burke, Nights in London[1], New York: Henry Holt and Company:
- Oh, yerss. Come in. Half a jiff till I finished this bottom stair. Now then—whoa!—don't touch that banister; it's a bit loose.
- 1980, Robert Barr, The Do-It-Yourself Job (episode of Detective, BBC radio drama; around 19 min)
- You can keep Max company while I nip out for a jiff.
- 2009, David Jerome, Roastbeef's Promise, page 42:
- A lady's voice answered, “Be out in a jiff.”
Translations
a moment; a short time
Etymology 2
Verb
jiff (third-person singular simple present jiffs, present participle jiffing, simple past and past participle jiffed)
- (slang) to deceive, swindle, trick
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:deceive
Anagrams
Somali
Verb
jiff
- to lie (on bed, etc)