n. [ OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perform; perh. orig., to make to come, bring, and perh. akin to E. come. Cf. Gest a deed, Register, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A deed; an action; a gest. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The jests or actions of princes. Sir T. Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mask; a pageant; an interlude. [ Obs. ] Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

He promised us, in honor of our guest,
To grace our banquet with some pompous jest. Kyd. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase. See Synonyms under Jest, v. i. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must be sad . . . smile at no man's jests. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts. Sheridan. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. [ 1913 Webster ] And given in earnest what I begged in jest. Shak. --
Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Jested; p. pr. & vb. n. Jesting. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To take part in a merrymaking; -- especially, to act in a mask or interlude. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

He jests at scars that never felt a wound. Shak.

Syn. -- To joke; sport; rally. -- To Jest, Joke. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. “Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest.” Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Gestour. ] 1. A buffoon; a merry-andrew; a court fool. [ 1913 Webster ]

This . . . was Yorick's skull, the king's jester. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dressed in the motley garb that jesters wear. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person addicted to jesting, or to indulgence in light and amusing talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

He ambled up and down
With shallow jesters. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Given to jesting; full of jokes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sportive; not serious; fit for jests.
Syn. -- joking. [ 1913 Webster ]

He will find that these are no jesting matters. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or practice of making jests; joking; pleasantry. Eph. v. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a jesting manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. [ F. lese-majesté, fr. L. laesus, fem. laesa, injured (see Lesion) + majestas majesty; that is, crimen laesae majestatis. ] [ Written also lèse majesty. ] 1. (Law) Any crime committed against the sovereign power, or against a ruler. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any affront to the dignity of an eminent or respected person. [ PJC ]

3. An attack against an institution or custom revered by the majority in a society. [ PJC ]

n. See Leze majesty. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Majestic. [ Obs. ] E. Pocock. Dr. J. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Majesty. ] Possessing or exhibiting majesty; of august dignity, stateliness, or imposing grandeur; lofty; noble; grand. “The majestic world.” Shak. “Tethys' grave majestic pace.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The least portions must be of the epic kind; all must be grave, majestic, and sublime. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- August; splendid; grand; sublime; magnificent; imperial; regal; pompous; stately; lofty; dignified; elevated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Majestic. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

An older architecture, greater, cunninger, more majestical. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Ma*jes"tic*al*ly, adv. -- Ma*jes"tic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being majestic. Oldenburg. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Majesties [ OE. magestee, F. majesté, L. majestas, fr. an old compar. of magnus great. See Major, Master. ] The dignity and authority of sovereign power; quality or state which inspires awe or reverence; grandeur; exalted dignity, whether proceeding from rank, character, or bearing; imposing loftiness; stateliness; -- usually applied to the rank and dignity of sovereigns. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord reigneth; he is clothed with majesty. Ps. xciii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

No sovereign has ever represented the majesty of a great state with more dignity and grace. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, used with the possessive pronoun, the title of an emperor, king or queen; -- in this sense taking a plural; as, their majesties attended the concert. [ 1913 Webster ]

In all the public writs which he [ Emperor Charles V. ] now issued as King of Spain, he assumed the title of Majesty, and required it from his subjects as a mark of respect. Before that time all the monarchs of Europe were satisfied with the appellation of Highness or Grace. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Dignity; elevation of manner or style. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To surpass in jesting; to drive out, or away, by jesting. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]