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Jones (jōnz)
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Family of American jazz musicians, including Henry (1918-2010), known as "Hank," a pianist best known as a member of the Columbia Broadcasting System house band (1959-1974); his brother Thaddeus Joseph (1923-1986), known as "Thad," a cornetist, flugelhorn player, and composer who wrote extensively for Count Basie's orchestra; and his brother Elvin Ray (1927-2004), a drummer best known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (1960-1965).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
jones (jōnz) Slang
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n.
1. Heroin.
2. An addiction or craving.
intr.v. jonesed, jones·ing, jones·es
To have an eager or intense desire: was jonesing for caffeine.

[Perhaps from the name Jones.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, Mary Harris Known as "Mother Jones." 1837-1930.
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Irish-born American labor leader and union organizer. She helped found (1905) the Industrial Workers of the World.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, John Paul 1747-1792.
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British-born American naval officer. In the American Revolution he raided the British coast and captured two warships (1778 and 1779).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, Charles Martin Known as "Chuck." 1912-2002.
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American animator and animation director who helped bring to life cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck for Warner Brothers. He won several Academy Awards for his cartoons.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, John Luther Known as "Casey." 1863-1900.
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American locomotive engineer who died trying to stop his train from crashing into another train. The song "The Ballad of Casey Jones," is about his death.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, Inigo 1573-1652.
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English architect who brought the Palladian classical style to England. He designed the Queen's House in Greenwich and the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall, London.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, Robert Tyre Known as "Bobby." 1902-1971.
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American golfer who won four major golf championships in a single year (1930).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, Quincy Delight Born 1933.
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American musician, composer, and record and television producer. After beginning his career playing with several influential jazz bands, he has since received acclaim for his film and television scores and for his work as a producer for records such as Thriller (1982), the best-selling album of all time.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jones, (Everett) LeRoi
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See Amiri Baraka.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.