English word origin

Etymology of juke

From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To play dance music, or to dance, in a juke.

noun

A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution. · Clipping of jukebox. · A genre of electronic music native to Chicago, noted for its fast, abstract rhythms; see footwork.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionjukegul

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "Wolof",
      "Wolof"
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    ]
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To hit. · To stab. · To thrust with the pelvis, in particular for sexual intercourse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Jamaican Creole jook.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A feint. · The neck of a bird.

verb

To deceive or outmaneuver someone using a feint, especially in American football or soccer. · To deceive or outmaneuver, using a feint. · To bend the neck; to bow or duck the head. · To manipulate deceptively.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Perhaps from Scots jouk, jowk, juke (“to elude, cheat; duck, skulk; bob, dodge”), palatalized variants of Scots deuk, douk, dowk (“to duck”). More at duck (verb).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionjouksco
Derivation mentiondeuksco

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for juke →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-anVrZQ