Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Jenny

Jen′ny

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Jennies
.
1.
A familiar or pet form of the proper name
Jane
.
2.
(Zool.)
A familiar name of the European wren.

Jen′ny

,
Noun.
[A corruption of
gin
an engine; influenced by
Jenny
, the proper name. See
Gin
an engine, and cf.
Ginny-carriage
.]
A machine for spinning a number of threads at once, – used in factories. Also called
spinning jenny
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Jenny

JEN'NY

,
Noun.
A machine for spinning, moved by water or steam and used in manufactories.

Definition 2024


Jenny

Jenny

See also: jenny and Jenný

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Jenny

  1. A diminutive of the female given names Jane and Jennifer (and rarely Eugenia), also used as a formal given name.
    • 1837 Leigh Hunt, Jenny Kissed Me,
      Jenny kissed me when we met,
      Jumping from the chair she sat in;
      Time, you thief, who love to get
      Sweets into your list, put that in!
      Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,
      Say that health and wealth have missed me,
      Say I'm growing old, but add,
      Jenny kissed me.
    • 1840 Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack, Chapter IV,
      All this I recollect, but little more, except my mother gave me several beatings for calling my sister "Jenny", which I had learnt to do from others who knew her; but when my mother heard them, she was always very angry, and told them that her child had not such a vulgar name; at which many would laugh, and make a point of calling out "Jenny" to Virginia whenever they passed and saw her at the door.

Translations

Noun

Jenny (plural Jennies)

  1. (Britain, informal) A Wren (a member of the WRNS)

Danish

Etymology

From English Jenny.

Proper noun

Jenny

  1. A female given name.

Norwegian

Etymology

From English Jenny.

Proper noun

Jenny

  1. A female given name.

Swedish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From English Jenny, diminutive of Jane. First recorded in Sweden in 1767. Later also used as a Swedish diminutive of Eugenia.

Proper noun

Jenny

  1. A female given name.

References

  • Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, ISBN 91-21-10937-0
  • Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, ISBN 9119551622: 47 317 females with the given name Jenny living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

jenny

jenny

See also: Jenny and Jenný

English

Noun

jenny (plural jennies)

  1. A device for spinning thread from fiber onto multiple spindles (also called spinning jenny).
  2. A female creature of certain kinds, such as wren and donkey.
  3. A catmill.

Translations

Derived terms

See also