\Jest\, n. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale,
OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L.
gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perform;
perh. orig., to make to come, bring, and perh. akin to E.
come. Cf. {Gest} a deed, {Register}, n.]
1. A deed; an action; a gest. [Obs.]
         The jests or actions of princes.      --Sir T.
                                               Elyot.
2. A mask; a pageant; an interlude. [Obs.] --Nares.
         He promised us, in honor of our guest, To grace our
         banquet with some pompous jest.       --Kyd.
3. Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a
   witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase. See
   Synonyms under {Jest}, v. i.
         I must be sad . . . smile at no man's jests. --Shak.
         The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his
         memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his
         facts.                                --Sheridan.
4. The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock.
         Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. --Shak.
{In jest}, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and
   reality; not in earnest.
         And given in earnest what I begged in jest. --Shak.
{Jest book}, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes,
   and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.

\Jest\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Jested}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Jesting}.]
1. To take part in a merrymaking; -- especially, to act in a
   mask or interlude. [Obs.] --Shak.
2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make
   light of anything.
         He jests at scars that never felt a wound. --Shak.
Syn: To joke; sport; rally.
Usage: To {Jest}, {Joke}. One jests in order to make others
       laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually
       at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a
       joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good
       humor without wounding the feelings of its object.
       ``Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes
       frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be
       degraded by being turned into a jest.'' --Crabb.