jetty
Syllables: jet·ty/ˈd͡ʒɛti//ˈd͡ʒɛti/
jetty noun: a part of a building that jets or projects beyond the rest; specifically, an upper storey which overhangs the part of the building below.
Noun
jetty (plural jetties)
- A part of a building that jets or projects beyond the rest; specifically, an upper storey which overhangs the part of the building below.
- Spérto, a porch, a portall, a baie vvindovv, or out butting, or iettie of a houſe that ietties out farther than anie other part of the houſe, a iettie or butte.1598, John Florio, “Spérto”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 392, column 1
- Moſt prepoſtrous therefore and improper is our frequent aſſigning ſuch vveak ſupporters to ſuch monſtrous jetties and exceſſive Superſtructures as vve many times find under Balconies, Bay-VVindovvs and long Galleries, […]1664, John Evelyn, “An Account of Architects & Architecture, together with an Historical, and Etymological Explanation of Certain Tearms Particularly Affected by Architects”, in Roland Freart [i.e....
- Synonyms:
- jutty
- A structure of stone or wood which extends into a river or sea to protect a bank, beach, harbour, etc., from currents or tides; a breakwater.
- [I]t appeareth that all the auncient Townes and Citties which ſtand vppon the Riuers of Rhyne and Danowe, towardes Fraunce and Italy, did ſerue rather for a Banke or Iettie againſt the ouerflowing of the Germanes, than for Fortreſſes to aſſayle them withall.1587, Philip of Mornay [i.e., Philippe de Mornay], “When the World had His Beginning”, in Philip Sidney, Arthur Golding, transl., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, […]...
- Near the River VVelland, that runs thro the Tovvn of Spalding in Lincolnſhire, at the depth of above 8 or 10 foot, there vvere found Jettys, as they call them, to keep up the old Rivers Bank, and the head of a Tunnel that emptied the Land-vvater into the old River; […]1702 May–June, [Ralph] Thoresby, quoting [anonymous], “V. Part of a Letter from Mr Thoresby, F.R.S. to the Publisher, Giving a Further Account of the Same [the finding of Roman coins in...
- Synonyms:
- mole
- A dock or wharf extending into a river from a bank, or into a sea from a shore, for boats to land or moor at; a pier.
- There are excellent jetties for landing by boat at the Marine Hotel, and the Vine Inn; […]1830, Philo Vectis [pseudonym], “The Cowes Visitors’ Companion”, in The Isle of Wight Tourist, and Companion at Cowes, Cowes, Isle of Wight: R. Moir, […], →OCLC, page 49
- The boathouse was a stone one, with a narrow quay along each wall inside, and a small jetty sticking out beyond it into the lake.1930 July 21, Arthur Ransome, “Making Ready”, in Swallows & Amazons, London: Jonathan Cape, […], published 1953, →OCLC, page 23
- A natural piece of land projecting into a body of water; a peninsula, a promontory.
- In full air jetty: synonym of jet bridge (“an elevated, usually enclosed, corridor connecting an airport to an aeroplane for embarking and disembarking crew and passengers”).
- Synonym of bulwark (“a defensive rampart or wall”).
- Synonyms:
- bulwark
Verb (1)
jetty (third-person singular simple present jetties, present participle jettying, simple past and past participle jettied)
- Sometimes followed by out: to construct (a part of a building) so that it jets or projects beyond the rest.
- Adentellare, […] It is properly to ietty out, or indent ſtones or timber of any vnfinished building, that another may the eaſier be ioyned vnto, or that finiſhed.1598, John Florio, “Adentellare”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 7, column 2
- To provide (a riverbank, seashore, etc.) with a jetty (“breakwater; dock or wharf”) (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.1 or etymology 1, noun sense 2.2).
- The land is indeed materially injured in many parts, for want of drains; but I think the expence would exceed the profit: they would soon lodge up, and consequently want jettying on the sides.1805, Richard Parkinson, “Section XXVI. Observations on the Soil and Climate. Reasons why Canals, and Improvements in Draining, Will Not Succeed in America. […]”, in A Tour in America, in 1798, 1799...
- The harbor of Greytown was formely open to vessels of considerable draught, but has almost been closed by sand bars; the surveys show, however, that the expense will be but moderate, by jettying with brush and pile, and finally strengthening of stone, of making an entrance for vessels of 30 feelt...1889 February 16, “The Nicaragua Ship Canal”, in Scientific American: A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures, volume LX, number 7, New York...
- Sometimes followed by out or over: of (a part of) a building: to jet or project beyond the rest of the building or other structures.
- Spérto, a porch, a portall, a baie vvindovv, or out butting, or iettie of a houſe that ietties out farther than anie other part of the houſe, a iettie or butte.1598, John Florio, “Spérto”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 392, column 1
- [A]s he beheld from out of the houſe Gelotiana, the preparation and furniture of the Cirque, ſome fevv from the next open galleries jettying out, called unto him for the ſame.1606, Caius [i.e., Gaius] Suetonius Tranquillus, “The Historie of Caius Cæsar Caligula”, in Philêmon Holland, transl., The Historie of Twelve Cæsars Emperours of Rome. […], London: […] [Humphrey...
- Synonyms:
- jutty
- To provide a riverbank, seashore, etc., with a jetty (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.1 or etymology 1, noun sense 2.2).
Adjective (1)
jetty (comparative more jetty, superlative most jetty)
- Having the characteristic of jetting or jutting out; protruding.
- Tvviſe tvventie Iettie ſailes vvith him, the ſvvelling ſtreame did take.[1611?], Homer, “The Second Booke of Homers Iliads”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC, page 30
- As near yon rock we bore, that o'er the waves / Just shews its jetty point, and will, ere long, / Beneath the tide be hid, we heard the sound / Of feeble lamentation.1810, Joanna Baillie, The Family Legend: A Tragedy, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for John Ballantyne and Co. […]; and Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 77
Adjective (2)
jetty (comparative jettier, superlative jettiest)
- Like jet (“a hard, black form of coal”) in colour; jet-black, pitch-black.
- Blacke are his colloures, blacke Pauillion, / His ſpeare, his ſhield, his horſe, his armour, plumes, / And Ietty Feathers menace death and hell, / VVithout reſpect of ſex, degree or age.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
- [A]s amongſt the Moores, the Iettieſt blacke are deem'd / The beautifulſt of them; […]1622, Michael Drayton, “The Sixe and Twentieth Song”, in The Second Part, or A Continuance of Poly-Olbion from the Eighteenth Song. […], London: […] Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Marriott, Iohn...
- Synonyms:
- coal black, tar-black
- Having a composition like that of jet.
- In the Whitby Museum there is a large mass of bone, which has the exterior converted into jet for about a quarter of an inch in thickness. The jetty matter appears to have entered first into the pores of the bone, and there to have hardened; and, during the mineralising process, the whole bony...1856 May 1, Robert Hunt, quoting Mr. Simpson, curator of the Whitby Museum, “No. VIII.—The Whitby Jet and Ammonite Ornaments.”, in The Art-Journal, volume II (New Series), London; New York, N.Y.: […]...
Verb (2)
jetty (third-person singular simple present jetties, present participle jettying, simple past and past participle jettied)
- To move with haste.
- Some knack not vnpretye, / of Huſwiferie nettie, / how Huſwiues ſhould iettie / from morning to night.1570, Thomas Tusser, “To the Right Honourable and My Speciall Good Lady and Mistres, the Lady Paget”, in A Hundrethe Good Pointes of Husbandrie, Lately Maried vnto a Hundrethe Good Points of Huswifry...
jetty meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu
jetty in Hindi
- जेट्टी
jetty in Tamil
- இறங்குதுறை, வாய்க்கரை, தோணித்துறை, அணைக்கரை, படகுத் துறை
jetty in Marathi
- जेट्टी, जेटी, जेट्टीला
jetty in Urdu
- چمک دار سیاہ, کالا سیاہ, گودی, جہازوں کا پشتہ, مال انداز
More languagesFewer languages
- jetty in Bengali
- জাহাজঘাটা, জেটি
- jetty in Telugu
- జెట్టీ, జెట్టి, జెట్టికి
- jetty in Malayalam
- ബോട്ട്ജെട്ടി, കടൽ ഭിത്തി, കടവ്, ഉന്തിനിൽക്കുന്ന തിണ്ണ
- jetty in Kannada
- ಬಂದರು ಕಾಪು, ದಂಡೆ
- jetty in Punjabi
- ਜੈਟੀ, ਜੇਟੀ, ਜੈੱਟੀ
- jetty in Gujarati
- ફુરજો phurjo
- jetty in Odia
- ଜେଟି, ଜେଟ୍ଟି
- jetty in Nepali
- जेट्टी, जेटी, जेट्टीमा
- jetty in Malay
- jeti
Examples of jetty in a sentence
- The wooden jetty on the East Pier had become worm-eaten and was demolished, but the Admiralty lent an old hulk to serve as a rough-and-ready packet facility.1960 May, K. A. Murray, “Carlisle Pier, Dun Laoghaire”, in Railway Magazine, page 302:
- You'll be no more your former You; / But for a blooming Nymph vvill paſs / Juſt Fifteen, coming Summer's Graſs: / Your jetty Locks vvith Garlands crovvn'd, […]1724–1725 (date written), [Jonathan Swift], “A Receipt to Restore Stella’s Youth. […]”, in Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse. […], volume V...
- At morn the black-cock trims his jetty wing, / 'Tis morning prompts the linnet's blithest lay; […]1810, Walter Scott, “Canto II. The Island.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne...
- An ivoryskinned young woman with heavy sullen eyes and jetty hair came into the room.1925, John Dos Passos, “Fire Engine”, in Manhattan Transfer, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, 2nd section, page 206:
Synonyms of jetty
Forms of jetty
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | jetties |
| alternative form | jettee |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | jetties |
| present participle | jettying |
| past participle | jettied |
| past | jettied |
| Adjective | |
| comparative | more jetty |
| superlative | most jetty |
| comparative | jettier |
| superlative | jettiest |
Origin of jetty
The noun is derived from Late Middle English gete, jette, jetti (“projecting upper storey of a building, overhang; breakwater, pier, jetty”), from Anglo-Norman geté, getee, getté, and Middle French geté, getee, jeté (“projecting upper storey of a building; breakwater, pier”) (modern French jetée), a noun use of the past participle of geter, jeter, from Old French geter, jeter (“to throw”) from Late Latin iectāre, the present active infinitive of iectō (“to throw”), probably from Latin iactō (“to cast, hurl, throw”), from iaciō (“to cast, hurl, throw”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- (“to throw”)) + -tō (frequentative suffix). Compare jet (“(obsolete) protruding part”), jutty. The verb is derived from the noun.
From jet (“(obsolete) protruding part, projection”, noun) or jet (“to jut, project, protrude”, verb) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).
From jet (“hard, black form of coal; colour of jet coal”, noun) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).
Words formed from jetty
Words that rhyme with jetty
Questions about jetty
- What does jetty mean?
- Jetty means a part of a building that jets or projects beyond the rest; specifically, an upper storey which overhangs the part of the building below.
- What is jetty in Hindi?
- Jetty in Hindi is जेट्टी. See Jetty meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use jetty in a sentence?
- The wooden jetty on the East Pier had become worm-eaten and was demolished, but the Admiralty lent an old hulk to serve as a rough-and-ready packet facility.
- What part of speech is jetty?
- Jetty can be a noun, a verb or an adjective.
- How do you pronounce jetty?
- Jetty is pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛti/ (UK).
- What is the plural of jetty?
- The plural of jetty is jetties.
Words near jetty in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: jetty (page history and authors); jetty (Hindi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); jetty (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); jetty (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); jetty (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); jetty (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); jetty (Telugu, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); jetty (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); jetty (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); jetty (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); ફુરજો (Gujarati) (page history and authors); jetty (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); jetty (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-jetty.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-jetty.wav.
Cite this entry: “jetty.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/jetty. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.