job

job¹

/job/, n., v., jobbed, jobbing, adj.

n.

1. a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price: She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.

2. a post of employment; full-time or part-time position: She was seeking a job as an editor.

3. anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility: It is your job to be on time.

4. an affair, matter, occurrence, or state of affairs: to make the best of a bad job.

5. the material, project, assignment, etc., being worked upon: The housing project was a long and costly job.

6. the process or requirements, details, etc., of working: It was a tedious job.

7. the execution or performance of a task: She did a good job.

8. Slang. a theft or similar criminal action: The police caught the gang that pulled that bank job.

9. a public or official act or decision carried through for the sake of improper private gain.

10. Slang. an example of a specific or distinctive type: That little six-cylinder job was the best car I ever owned.

11. Computers. a unit of work for a computer, generally comprising an application program or group of related programs and the data, linkages, and instructions to the operating system needed for running the programs.

12. do a job on, Slang.

a. to destroy, defeat, damage, or confound thoroughly: The thugs did a job on him - he'll be in the hospital for a month.

b. to deceive, persuade, or charm glibly; snow.

13. on the job, alert; observant: The cops were on the job and caught them red-handed.

v.i.

14. to work at jobs or odd pieces of work; work by the piece.

15. to do business as a jobber.

16. to turn public business, planning, etc., improperly to private gain.

v.t.

17. to assign or give (work, a contract for work, etc.) in separate portions, as among different contractors or workers (often fol. by out): He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits.

18. to buy in large quantities, as from wholesalers or manufacturers, and sell to dealers in smaller quantities: He jobs shoes in Ohio and Indiana.

19. to get rid of or dispose of: His party jobbed him when he sought a second term in office.

20. to swindle or trick (someone): They jobbed him out of his property.

21. to carry on (public or official business) for improper private gain.

adj.

22. of or for a particular job or transaction.

23. bought, sold, or handled together: He's too big a customer to buy in less than job quantities.

[1620-30; 1935-40 for def. 16; orig. uncert.]

Syn. 1. See task. 2. See position.

job²

/job/, v.t., v.i., jobbed, jobbing, n.

jab.

[1480-90; ME jobben, of uncert. orig.]

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Central character of the Book of Job in the Old Testament, known for his faithfulness to God despite his many afflictions.

At the beginning, Job is a wealthy man with a large family. Satan challenges God to allow him to take away Job's blessings as a test of his faith. Soon Job is desolate, covered with boils, his wealth gone and his family dead. Three friends arrive to comfort him; he disputes with them, denying he has done anything to deserve this misery but maintaining his faith in God. At the end, in a confrontation with God, the power and mystery of the deity are memorably reasserted, but the problem of why the innocent suffer is left unresolved. The book dates from the 6th–4th century BC.

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