joker

Everyday

1. A joker is a person who likes to make jokes and do funny things. tree →
2. The joker is a playing card with a picture of a jester, used in some games as a special or wild card. tree →
3. A joker can be an annoying or silly person (informal, unkind). tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and school, the class joker makes people laugh, but jokes should be kind and not at others' expense. In card games, the joker can stand for any other card in some games. In stories, a joker or jester entertains a king. Phrases: the class joker, a practical joker, joker in the pack.

Examples

• Ben is the joker of our class. tree →
• My uncle is a real joker who always makes us laugh. tree →
• In this game the joker can be any card you want. tree →
• A practical joker played a trick on his friends. tree →
• The king's joker danced and told funny stories. tree →
• Take the jokers out of the pack before we play. tree →

Note

Countable: jokers. From «joke» + -er. A «practical joker» plays tricks instead of telling jokes. A good joker knows when to stop: jokes that hurt someone are not funny.