What does "jones" mean?
Heroin.
Jones
/d͡ʒoʊnz/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Heroin.
- Grammar: jones is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: craving, desire, family name, last name.
- Useful contrasts: contentment, forename, given name.
- Usage evidence: I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman.
How to use "jones"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jones" 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 "jones" 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 "jones" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jones" 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 "jones" is acting as name, 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 "craving" 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 "jones", 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 Heroin. US, archaic, slang
"You mean you got a little Jones, huh? Was it good?"
- 2 An addiction or intense craving. US, slang
"I’ve got a basketball jones!"
Verb
- 1 Have an intense craving. US, slang
"I’m jonesing for some basketball."
- 2 third-person singular simple present indicative of jone form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
- 3 To binge on cocaine and/or alcohol. US, slang
Proper Noun
- 1 An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic derived from the given name John. countable, uncountable
"It appears that Drs. Jones and Freeman account for the arch over the hagioscope at St. David's by saying, though without citing authorities, that there was a door there originally."
- 2 plural of Jone form-of, plural
- 3 A placename; A locality in Kenora District, north-west Ontario, Canada. countable, uncountable
- 4 A placename; A municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. countable, uncountable
- 5 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Autauga County, Alabama. countable, uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Coles County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
- 7 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Perry County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
- 8 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Cass County, Michigan. countable, uncountable
- 9 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. countable, uncountable
- 10 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Barbour County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable
- 11 A placename; A number of places in the United States:; Two townships, in Elk County, Pennsylvania and Beltrami County, Minnesota, listed under Jones Township. countable, uncountable
- 12 A placename; Ellipsis of Jones County. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jones"?
Common synonyms include: craving, desire, family name, last name, longing, urge.
How do you use "jones" in a sentence?
I would like to nominate Don Jones as chairman.
How do you pronounce "jones"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒoʊnz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Genitive of John.
Etymology 2
From Jone + -s.
Etymology 3
Ed Boland, in The New York Times, March 2002, attributes the term to heroin addicts who frequented Great Jones Alley in New York City, off Great Jones Street between Broadway and Lafayette Street, although the slang term has obviously been around much longer. Dan Waldorf states that the use of the term, in the sense of “addiction”, originated among heroin addicts.
Etymology 4
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.