What does "job" mean?
Job: A piece of chance or occasional work; any definite work undertaken in gross for a fixed price; as, he did the job for a thousand dollars.
Additional senses
- 2.A public transaction done for private profit; something performed ostensibly as a part of official duty, but really for private gain; a corrupt official business.
- 3.Any affair or event which affects one, whether fortunately or unfortunately. [Colloq.]
- 4.A situation or opportunity of work; as, he lost his job. [Colloq.] Note: Job is used adjectively to signify doing jobs, used for jobs, or let on hire to do jobs; as, job printer; job master; job horse; job wagon, etc. By the job, at a stipulated sum for the work, or for each piece of work done; -- distinguished from time work; as, the house was built by the job. -- Job lot, a quantity of goods, usually miscellaneous, sold out of the regular course of trade, at a certain price for the whole; as, these articles were included in a job lot. -- Job master, one who lest out horses and carriages for hire, as for family use. [Eng.] -- Job printer, one who does miscellaneous printing, esp. circulars, cards, billheads, etc. -- Odd job, miscellaneous work of a petty kind; occasional work, of various kinds, or for various people.
- 5.To strike or stab with a pointed instrument. L'Estrange.
- 6.To thrust in, as a pointed instrument. Moxon.
- 7.To do or cause to be done by separate portions or lots; to sublet (work); as, to job a contract.
- 8.(Com.) To buy and sell, as a broker; to purchase of importers or manufacturers for the purpose of selling to retailers; as, to job goods.
- 9.To hire or let by the job or for a period of service; as, to job a carriage. Thackeray.
- 10.To do chance work for hire; to work by the piece; to do petty work. Authors of all work, to job for the season. Moore.
- 11.To seek private gain under pretense of public service; to turn public matters to private advantage. And judges job, and bishops bite the town. Pope.
- 12.To carry on the business of a jobber in merchandise or stocks.
- 13.The hero of the book of that name in the Old Testament; the typical patient man. Job's comforter. (a) A false friend; a tactless or malicious person who, under pretense of sympathy, insinuates rebukes. (b) A boil. [Colloq.] -- Job's news, bad news. Carlyle. -- Job's tears (Bot.), a kind of grass (Coix Lacryma), with hard, shining, pearly grains.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00