jazz

Etymology

Unknown. First attested around 1912 in a discussion of baseball; attested in reference to music around 1915. Numerous references suggest that the term may be connected to jasm and jism.

noun

1. (music) A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time, commonly characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms and improvisation.
   You dare to bring your jazz songs into my house! 1927, Samson Raphaelson, Alfred A. Cohn, The Jazz Singer, spoken by Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson)
   You see, the kids, they listen to the rap music which gives them the brain damage. With their hippin', and the hoppin', and the bippin', and the boppin', so they don't know what the jazz…is all about! You see, jazz is like the Jello Pudding Pop—no, actually, it's more like Kodak film—no, actually, jazz is like the New Coke: it'll be around forever, heh heh. 1995, Mike Reiss, Al Jean, “'Round Springfield”, in The Simpsons, season 6, episode 22, spoken by Bill Cosby
2. (figurative) Energy, excitement, excitability.
   He loves the risk. The danger. He loves the jazz. 1983, Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell, “Mexican Slayride”, in The A-Team, season 1, episode 1, spoken by B. A. Baracus (Mr. T)
3. The substance or makeup of a thing; unspecified thing(s).
   and all that jazz
   What is all this jazz lying around?
   I'm just going down to the shops and jazz.
   Dad, I want to be a jock. All a jock needs is some hep patter and a real gone image. Now, they just don't teach that jazz in college. 1975, Garry Marshall et al., “Richie's Flip Side”, in Happy Days, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard)
4. (with positive terms) Something of excellent quality, the genuine article.
   That show was the jazz!
   This risotto is simply the jazz.
5. Nonsense.
   Stop talking jazz.
6. (slang) Semen, jizz.
   Suddenly, Bobby oozed his jazz into Gene's throat. 1968, Len Harrington, In drag, page 7
   […] making Glenn feel as though he could never stop shooting his jazz wildly up inside the man's brawny body! 1974, Peter Pepper, Meatslinger, page 141
   As he clung to the legs of his captor, he splayed his own out to the side, baring his groin and genitals to the eyes of all just as his jazz began to spurt out onto the stage. 2018, Bert Shrader, A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
7. A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

verb

1. (slang) To destroy; to ruin.
   You’ve gone and jazzed it now!
2. To play (jazz music).
3. To dance to the tunes of jazz music.
4. To enliven, brighten up, make more colourful or exciting.
5. (slang) To complicate.
   Don’t jazz it too much!
6. (intransitive, US slang, dated) To have sex for money, to prostitute oneself.
   ‘Jazzing?’ Temple whispered […]. ‘Yes, putty-face!’ the woman said. ‘How do you suppose I paid that lawyer?’ 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 59
7. (intransitive, slang) To move (around/about) in a lively or frivolous manner; to fool around.
   ‘Well, if you're going to jazz about the way you do, I suppose you'll need rouge at your age.’ 1958, Doris Lessing, A Ripple From the Storm, HarperPerennial, published 1995, page 119
8. (slang, transitive) To distract or pester.
   Stop jazzing me!
9. (slang) To ejaculate.
   Twenty-four black men jazzed madly as trumpets exploded her eardrums in tom-tom time. Ebony orgasm flooded her with creme. 1982, Arthur Winfield Knight, Kit Knight, Beat angels, page 7
   The thrill of the rimming soon made this guy beg for me to stop before he jazzed his nuts. 1986, Winston Leyland, Hard, page 84
   I reached around and began jacking off Marshall's prick as I was jazzing his ass. 1988, First Hand - Volume 8, Issue 2, page 47