jive
jive / jīv/ • n. 1. a lively style of dance popular esp. in the 1940s and 1950s, performed to swing music or rock and roll. ∎ swing music. ∎ a style of dance music popular in South Africa: township jive. 2. (also jive talk) a form of slang associated with black American jazz musicians. ∎ inf. a thing, esp. talk, that is deceptive or worthless: a single image says more than any amount of blather and jive.• v. inf. 1. [intr.] perform the jive or a similar dance to popular music: people were jiving in the aisles. 2. [tr.] inf. taunt or sneer at: Willy kept jiving him until Jimmy left. ∎ [intr.] talk nonsense: he wasn't jiving about that bartender.• adj. inf. deceitful or worthless.DERIVATIVES: jiv·er n.jiv·ey adj.
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jive
