Category:Job

Job, n. Etym: [Prov. E. job, gob, n., a small piece of wood, v., to stab, strike; cf. E. gob, gobbet; perh. influenced by E. chop to cut off, to mince. See Gob.]

1. A sudden thrust or stab; a jab.

2. A piece of chance or occasional work; any definite work undertaken in gross for a fixed price; as, he did the job for a thousand dollars.

3. A public transaction done for private profit; something performed ostensibly as a part of official duty, but really for private gain; a corrupt official business.

4. Any affair or event which affects one, whether fortunately or unfortunately. [Colloq.]

5. A situation or opportunity of work; as, he lost his job. [Colloq.]

Note: Job is used adjectively to signify doing jobs, used for jobs, or let on hire to do jobs; as, job printer; job master; job horse; job wagon, etc. By the job, at a stipulated sum for the work, or for each piece of work done; -- distinguished from time work; as, the house was built by the job. -- Job lot, a quantity of goods, usually miscellaneous, sold out of the regular course of trade, at a certain price for the whole; as, these articles were included in a job lot. -- Job master, one who lest out horses and carriages for hire, as for family use. [Eng.] -- Job printer, one who does miscellaneous printing, esp. circulars, cards, billheads, etc. -- Odd job, miscellaneous work of a petty kind; occasional work, of various kinds, or for various people.

job Job, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Jobbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Jobbing.]

1. To strike or stab with a pointed instrument. L'Estrange.

2. To thrust in, as a pointed instrument. Moxon.

3. To do or cause to be done by separate portions or lots; to sublet (work); as, to job a contract.

4. (Com.)

Defn: To buy and sell, as a broker; to purchase of importers or manufacturers for the purpose of selling to retailers; as, to job goods.

5. To hire or let by the job or for a period of service; as, to job a carriage. Thackeray.

job Job, v. i.

1. To do chance work for hire; to work by the piece; to do petty work. Authors of all work, to job for the season. Moore.

2. To seek private gain under pretense of public service; to turn public matters to private advantage. And judges job, and bishops bite the town. Pope.

3. To carry on the business of a jobber in merchandise or stocks.

job Job, n.

Defn: The hero of the book of that name in the Old Testament; the typical patient man. Job's comforter. See: Book of Job (a) A false friend; a tactless or malicious person who, under pretense of sympathy, insinuates rebukes. (b) A boil. [Colloq.] -- Job's news, bad news. Carlyle. -- Job's tears (Bot.), a kind of grass (Coix Lacryma), with hard, shining, pearly grains.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Job - Persecuted, an Arabian patriarch who resided in the land of Uz (q.v.). While living in the midst of great prosperity, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a series of sore trials that fell upon him. Amid all his sufferings he maintained his integrity. Once more God visited him with the rich tokens of His goodness and even greater prosperity than he had enjoyed before. He survived the period of trial for one hundred and forty years, and died in a good old age, an example to succeeding generations of integrity (Ezekiel 14:14, Ezekiel 14:20) and of submissive patience under the sorest calamities (James 5:11). His history, so far as it is known, is recorded in his book, Book of Job.