joint

JOYNT/d͡ʒɔɪnt/

Noun pluraljoints

18 meanings of joint

1
sharedadjective
Shared or done together by two or more people or groups.
Like two people carrying a heavy box together: both lift at the same time.
They made a joint decision about where to go on the trip.
The two schools held a joint concert in the spring.
UsageComes before a noun: a joint decision. To say how something is done, use jointly.
Similarshared, mutual
Oppositeindividual, separate, sole, unilateral
Note
2
where bones meetnouncountable
A place in the body where two bones meet, often letting that part bend or straighten.
Like a hinge on a door that lets it swing open and shut.
Her knee joint hurts when she climbs the stairs.
His finger joints ache on cold winter mornings.
Similararticulation
Note
3
where parts meetnouncountable
A place where two parts are joined, either firmly or so they can move, or the way they fit together.
Like your elbow, which lets your arm bend and turn.
The lamp has a joint that lets you tilt the head.
This folding chair bends at a joint near the seat.
Note
4
casual placenounslangcountable
A casual word for a place, especially a restaurant or bar, or anywhere people hang out.
We grabbed burgers at a little joint downtown.
That coffee joint on the corner is always busy.
UsageOften pizza joint or burger joint. It is casual; in formal writing say restaurant or bar.
Similarplace, spot, hangout
Note

Less common meanings

5
marijuananounslangcountable
A cigarette made with marijuana.
He rolled a joint and passed it around the campfire.
They shared a joint on the back porch after dinner.
Similarreefer, doobie, jay, spliff
Note
6
roast meatnouncountable
A large piece of meat cooked whole, often with the bone left in.
Mom put a joint of beef in the oven for Sunday lunch.
They carved the joint at the table after it had rested.
UsageOften a joint of beef or a joint of lamb.
Similarroast
Note
7
prisonnounslangUS
A prison or jail.
He spent five years in the joint before his release.
Her brother just got out of the joint last week.
UsageUsually in the joint or out of the joint.
Similarprison, jail, slammer, clink
Note
8
nounslangUScountable
Any object or item, named loosely without saying exactly what it is.
Like saying 'thingy' when you don't know what to call something.
That new song is my joint, so turn it up!
I love your sneakers. Where did you get those joints?
UsageOften with a name or my: a Spike Lee joint, this song is my joint.
Similarthing, object, item
Note
9
fit togetherverbtransitive
To fit pieces together neatly, or to shape them so they join well.
Like sanding two blocks smooth so they sit flat against each other.
The carpenter jointed the boards before gluing them.
You need to joint these planks so the edges meet flat.
Similarjoin, fit, fasten
Note
10
carve upverbtransitive
To cut meat into pieces by separating it at the joints.
The butcher jointed the chicken before wrapping it for sale.
You can joint a rabbit easily with a sharp knife.
Similarcarve, butcher, dismember, cut
Note
11
make flexibleverbtransitive
To give something a part that lets it bend or move.
Like adding a hinge to a door so it can swing open.
The toymaker jointed the doll so its arms could move.
Engineers joint the robotic arm at several points.
Note
12
verbraretransitive
To bring separate things together so they become one.
But soon that war had end, and the time's state Made friends of them, jointing their force 'gainst Caesar
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”Here, jointing means joining together into one.
Similarjoin
Note
13
dennoundatedUScountable
A cheap place with a bad reputation where people gather, such as a drifters' hangout or an opium den.
Like a rundown shelter where people with no home gather.
Back then, homeless men slept in a dirty joint by the train tracks.
Every drifter in town knew that joint near the tracks.
Note
14
penisnounslangUScountable
A rude slang word for a man's penis.
He zipped up too fast and caught his joint.
The ball hit him right between the legs, and he grabbed his joint in pain.
Similardick, cock
Note
15
noundatedcountable
A syringe used to inject illegal drugs into the body.
Note
16
fit togetherverbintransitive
To fit or come together closely, as separate parts that lock into place.
Similarfit, merge
Note
17
noun
A crack in rock where the two sides have not slid past each other.
18
noun
The piece between two joints or knots, as on a plant stem or a leg.

Practice

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Origin

The noun comes from Old French joint, meaning a joint of the body, from Latin iunctus, from iungo (to join). Later it also came to mean a building or place, and a marijuana cigarette.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

The noun derives from Old French joint, meaning a joint of the body. en.wiktionary.org
Old French joint derives from Latin iunctus. en.wiktionary.org
Iunctus derives from iungo, meaning to join. en.wiktionary.org
The noun subsequently acquired the building or place sense. en.wikipedia.org
The noun subsequently acquired the marijuana-cigarette sense. en.wikipedia.org