jawfallen

Adjective

jawfallen (comparative more jawfallen, superlative most jawfallen)

1. (archaic) Dejected, dispirited.
   • He was pitifully jawfallen. As the guards jogged him out of the room he waved me a farewell.1897, George Morgan, John Littlejohn, of J.: Being in Particular an Account of ..., page 106
   • Every man hath heard the tale of the Picard, who being upon the ladder ready to be thrown down, there was a wench presented unto him, with this offer […] that if he would marry her, his life should be saved, [...and] a man of Denmark, who being adjudged to have his head cut off, and being upon the...1907, John Florio, transl., edited by Adolphe Cohn, [Michel de] Montaigne: The Essays, page 234

   Synonyms:

   miserable, unhappy, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue, bummed out, chapfallen, cheerless

2. (obsolete) Having a "fallen" or locked jaw (and hence sometimes unable to speak), variously attributed to dejection (the previous sense) or lockjaw.
   • Legion is a yelping Cur, he only made a noise behind their Backs, but durst not look them in the Face. Indeed then he did make a slip, or broke his Halter, but now he's Chain'd or Jawfallen, for I han't heard of him never since.1703, A voyage to the Antipodes, a simile, in a dialogue..., page 16
   • Headmouldshot and Mouldfallen — 34
     Jawfallen — 2
     Jaundies — 761759, Thomas Percival, A Collection of the Yearly Bills of Mortality, from 1657 to 1758 inclusive, for the year 1662