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jazz

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Jazz is defined as a style of music originated by black Americans that has a forceful rhythm and that often uses instruments like trumpets, a string bass and a saxophone.

(noun)

An example of jazz is the music of Louis Armstrong.

See jazz in Webster's New World College Dictionary

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noun

a kind of music, originally improvised but now also arranged, characterized by syncopation, rubato, usually heavily accented rhythms, dissonances, individualized melodic variations, and unusual tonal effects on the trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, etc.: it originated with Southern blacks in the late 19th cent.
Slang a quality reminiscent of jazz music; lively spirit
Slang remarks, acts, concepts, etc. regarded as hypocritical, tiresome, trite, pretentious, etc.

Origin: etym. uncert.: < ? Creole patois jass, sexual term applied to the Congo dances (New Orleans)

adjective

of, in, like, or having to do with jazz

transitive verb

to speed up
Slang to fill with jazz qualities; make exciting or elaborate; enliven or embellish: usually with up

intransitive verb

Slang to move or behave in a lively or carefree way

See jazz in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Music
a. A style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom.
b. Big band dance music.
Slang
a. Animation; enthusiasm.
b. Nonsense.
c. Miscellaneous, unspecified things: brought the food and all the jazz to go with it.

verb jazzed, jazz·ing, jazz·es

verb, transitive

Music To play in a jazz style.
Slang
a. To exaggerate or lie to: Don't jazz me.
b. To give great pleasure to; excite: The surprise party jazzed the guest of honor.
c. To cause to accelerate.