Forms: α. 1 iugelere, ʓeogelere, 2 iugulere, 3–4 iugelour, (4 -elur, -ellur), 3–6 iogeler, 4–5 ioguler, -or, -ur, -our, -owre, iogoler, -our(e, -ur, iuguler, -or, iugoler, iugillure, -our, 4–6 iogelour, (5 -owre), 6–7 iuggeler. β. 3–4 iuglur, 4 ioglere, 5 ioglour(e, 5–6 iuglour, 6 iogler, iougler, iuglar, 6–7 iugler, iuggler, 7 juglar, (jugleur), 7–9 jugler, 7– juggler. [ad. OF. nom. jog-, jug-, jouglere, acc. jogleor, jog-, jougelour, later jougleur = It. giocolatore:—L. joculātor, -ātōrem, agent-n. from joculārī to jest. Some of the ME. forms may represent the OF. synonym jogeler, jougler = Sp. juglar, It. giocogliere:—L. joculāris jocular, droll, in med.L. as sb. = ‘mimus, scurra’; but already in the late OE. iugelere we see the suffix levelled under the native -ere, later -ER1. The trisyllabic iuguler, ioguler, etc., were app. influenced by the Latin form. See also JONGLEUR.]
† 1. One who entertains or amuses people by stories, songs, buffoonery, tricks, etc.; a jester, buffoon. (Often used with implied contempt or reprobation.) Obs.
α. c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 29. Þa liȝeres and þa wohdemeres and þa iuguleres, and þa oðer sottes.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 271/19. Is Iugelour a day bi-fore him pleide faste, And nemde in his ryme and in is song þene deuel atþe laste.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 1494 (Ritson). Men seide hit were harperis, Jogelers, ant fythelers.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 138. In a Iogulers lykenesse y wys He went to aspye what dede his fone.
1483. Caxton, Cato, B v. Them that can kepe no thynge secretely as iogelers, mynstrellys, foles … and yonge chyldren.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 86. I meane me to disguize In some straunge habit … like a Gipsen, or a Iuggeler.
β. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 210. Summe iuglurs beoð þet ne kunnen seruen of non oðer gleo, buten makien cheres, & wrenchen mis hore muð, & schulen mid hore eien.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 28382. Oure fele … sith haf i … to gleumen cald and to ioglere, in tent þai suld me luueworde bere.
1557. Paynell, Barclay’s Jugurth, I. 91. I haue no iougler nor dyzar with me to moue sportes and dissolute laughynge.
2. One who works marvels by the aid of magic or witchcraft, a magician, wizard, sorcerer (obs.); one who plays tricks by sleight of hand; a performer of legerdemain; a conjurer.
α. a. 1100. Aldhelm Glosses, 4020 (Napier, 106/2), Aruspicum, iugelera. Ibid., 4476. Marsi, dryas, iugeleras [Brussels MS. ʓeogelere].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5898. Þan cald þe king his enchaunturs, Þe craftes of his iogulurs, Dun þai kest a wand ilkan, And þai wex dragons son onan. Ibid., 20891. Symon magus, þat iugelur [v.rr. iuglur, iugillure, Iogelour] … ledd þe folk wit grett errur.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 169. Ther saugh I pley Iugelours Magiciens and tregetours.
1509. Gosp. Nicodemus (W. de W., 1518), 12. Iames and Zambres the whiche were iogelers and wytches.
1555. Eden, Decades, 46. He conueygheth the piece of fleshe owte of his owne mouth like a iuggeler.
1601–2. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., 97. This is many waies done, and iuggelers and professors of feates can performe it.
β. a. 1300. [see α. above].
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 410. Þe Iuse for his gemetry þat Iogloure takis.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 770. In com iapand the Ia as a iuglour.
1529. More, Dyaloge, II. Wks. 200/2. The serpent of Moises deuoured all the serpentes … of the Egipcyan ioglers.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VII., 5. No lesse deceytfull then ligier de meyne in the hand of a iuggler.
1662. Pepys, Diary, 15 Aug. After dinner comes in a jugleur, which showed us very pretty tricks.
1761. Churchill, Apol., 122. It flies—hey!—presto!—like a jugler’s ball.
1808. A. Parsons, Trav., xiv. 308. Buffoons and juglers, who come in groupes with music into the channel, and play their tricks.
1875. E. White, Life in Christ, III. xxi. (1878), 310. Phenomena travestied by the jugglers of the Egyptian Hall.
3. transf. and fig. One who deceives by trickery; a trickster; one who plays fast and loose (with).
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxx. 16. Þai ere all faitors & ypocrites & iogulors þat dessayues man.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 99. Þei [Prelatis] bicomen þe deuelis iogelours to blynde mennus gostly eiȝen.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4526. Iupitir þat Ioglour sum Iape bos haue.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 2. This [gem] is a maruellous Iugler, for it wil cause things obiect to be presented to our eies as it listeth.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 282. O me, you iugler, you canker blossome, You theefe of loue.
1651. Sir E. Nicholas, in N. Papers (Camden), 226. The two great Jugglers … in Scotland, viz. Hamilton and Argyle.
1769. Burke, Late St. Nat., Wks. 1842, I. 85. All the little tricks of finance which the expertest juggler of the treasury can practise.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 376. The Sophist … is proved to be a dissembler and juggler with words.
4. Comb., as juggler-like adj. or adv.
1639. Habington, Castara, II. (Arb.), 97. Honour doth appeare To statesmen like a vision in the night, And jugler-like workes oth’ deluded sight.
