JAPE

joke, gag, laugh, jest, jape

(noun) a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter; “he told a very funny joke”; “he knows a million gags”; “thanks for the laugh”; “he laughed unpleasantly at his own jest”; “even a schoolboy’s jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

jape (plural japes)

A joke or quip.

A prank or trick.

Synonyms

• See joke

Verb

jape (third-person singular simple present japes, present participle japing, simple past and past participle japed)

(intransitive) To jest; play tricks.

Synonyms: joke, Thesaurus:jest

(transitive) To mock; deride.

Synonyms: gibe, trick, befool, make fun of, razz, Thesaurus:mock

(obsolete) To have sexual intercourse with.

Synonyms: coitize, go to bed with, sleep with, Thesaurus:copulate with

Source: Wiktionary

Jape, v. i. Etym: [Prob. from the same source as gab,influenced by F. japper to yelp. See Gab to deceive.]

Definition: To jest; to play tricks; to jeer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Jape, v. t.

Definition: To mock; to trick. Chaucer. I have not been putting a jape upon you. Sir W. Scott. The coy giggle of the young lady to whom he has imparted his latest merry jape. W. Besant.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition