What does "jabber" mean?
Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish.
Jabber
/ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish.
- Grammar: jabber is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: absurdity, amphigory, babble, babbled.
- Useful contrasts: articulate, clarity, conciseness.
- Usage evidence: He spends all his time chatting online on Jabber.
How to use "jabber"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jabber" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jabber" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jabber" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jabber" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jabber" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absurdity" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "jabber", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish. uncountable
"1735, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, in The Works of Jonathan Swift, edited by George Faulkner, Dublin, 1735, Volume 3, A Letter from Capt. Gulliver to his Cousin Sympson, pp. v-vi, And, is there less Probability in my Account of the Houyhnhnms or Yahoos, when it is manifest as to the latter, there are so many Thousands even in this City, who only differ from their Brother Brutes in Houyhnhnmland, because they use a Sort of a Jabber, and do not go naked."
- 2 One who or that which jabs.
"Have the boys box, one jabbing and the other practicing the methods of boxing a jabber."
- 3 rapid and indistinct speech wordnet
- 4 One who administers a hypodermic injection. informal
"Like Claire, these “secret jabbers” are keeping it private even from their closest family and friends."
- 5 A kind of hand-operated corn planter.
"The jabber was the most popular hand-operated corn planter ever devised. […] Inset shows jaws closed for jabbing (left) and open for depositing kernels (right)."
Verb
- 1 To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense. intransitive
"1829, James Hogg, The Shepherd’s Calendar, New York: A.T. Goodrich, Volume I, Chapter 9, “Mary Burnet,” p. 184, Allanson made some sound in his throat, as if attempting to speak, but his tongue refused its office, and he only jabbered."
- 2 talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner wordnet
- 3 To utter rapidly or indistinctly; to gabble. transitive
"She had Lord James' collar in one big fist and she pounded the table with the other and talked a blue streak. Nobody could make out plain what she said, for she was mainly jabbering Swede lingo, but there was English enough, of a kind, to give us some idee."
Example
"He spends all his time chatting online on Jabber."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jabber"?
Common synonyms include: absurdity, amphigory, babble, babbled, babblement, babbling.
How do you use "jabber" in a sentence?
He spends all his time chatting online on Jabber.
How do you pronounce "jabber"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English jaberen, javeren, chaveren (“to chatter, babble”), dissimilated forms of jablen, chavelen (“to jabber”), from Middle English chavel ("jaw"; > modern English jowl). Equivalent to jowl + -er (iterative suffix).
Etymology 2
From jab + -er.