Forms: 4–5 iestour, (6 iesture), 6 gester, -ar, (Sc. geister), (7 gestor), 6–7 ieaster, iester, 7– jester. [f. JEST v. + -ER1; a variant spelling of GESTER.]
1. A professional reciter of romances. arch.
c. 1380–1496. [see GESTER].
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, II. ii. Harper’s strain And jester’s tale went round in vain.
a. 1861. Mrs. Browning, Summing up in Italy, viii. Some pale feudal jester.
2. A mimic, buffoon or merry-andrew; any professed maker of amusement, esp. one maintained in a prince’s court or nobleman’s household.
[c. 1362. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 565. Cuidam Istrioni Jestour Jawdewyne in festo Natalis D’ni, 3s. 4d.]
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), E iij. Seke not to get glory nor lawdes vnto thee Of a common gester or bourder hauing name.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., I. (1895), 77. The cardinal … sent away the iester by a preuy beck.
1569. Nottingham Rec., IV. 133. To Lockewood, the Quen’s Iester ijs.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., G 164. A Gester, or dizard faining and counterfeiting all men’s gestures, pantomimus.
1694. Luttrell, Brief Rel., 13 Nov. (1857), III. 399. Mr. Henry Killigrew has a warrant to be jester to the King, with £300 per ann. to be setled on him.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), V. 66. A small whole length of Archee, the king’s jester.
1858. Doran, Crt. Fools, 162. The jester was now a higher personage than the fool.
3. One who jests, or speaks or acts in jest; a person given to uttering jests or witticisms; a joker.
c. 1510. More, Picus, Wks. 11/1. The flesh chaungeth … the rauenous extorcioner in to a wolfe … ye mocking gester in to an ape.
1530. Palsgr., 224/2. Gestar a scoffer, raillevr.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. i. 218. I heare the Parson is no Iester. Ibid. (1605), Lear, V. iii. 71. Iesters do oft proue Prophets.
1728. Young, Love Fame, II. 124. Dull is the jester, when the joke’s unkind.
1866. Lowell, Biglow Papers, Introd. There is no imputation that could be more galling to any man’s self-respect than that of being a mere jester.
Hence Jestership, the office of a jester.
1858. Doran, Crt. Fools, 134. Patch was thus promoted to a court jestership.
1899. Academy, 3 June, 610/2. The triumph of my career was a jestership to a bishop.
