Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large, narrow-necked glass or earthenware bottle, usually encased in wickerwork.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A large glass vessel or bottle with a bulging body and small neck, usually cased in wickerwork, but sometimes in a wooden box with a notch in the top extending over the neck of the vessel, for convenience in pouring out its contents.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A glass vessel or bottle with a large body and small neck, inclosed in wickerwork.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A large bottle with a short neck, sometimes with two small handles at the neck, sometimes encased in wickerwork.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun large bottle with a short narrow neck; often has small handles at neck and is enclosed in wickerwork

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of French dame-Jeanne : dame, lady; see dame + Jeanne, personal name.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French dame-jeanne, of uncertain origin.

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Examples

  • In the case of soldiers on "extra duty," each was to receive one gill a day, and I distinctly recall the demijohn with the gill cup hanging on its neck, and the line of "extra duty men" who came up each morning for their perquisite.

    'Three Score Years and Ten' Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and Other Parts of the West Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark Van Cleve 1863

  • The bridge was named after the stone structure shaped like a "demijohn" Harbaugh placed on the east end of the bridge.

    Archive 2009-08-01 AYDIN 2009

  • The bridge was named after the stone structure shaped like a "demijohn" Harbaugh placed on the east end of the bridge.

    Jug Bridge Memorial AYDIN 2009

  • Jake Cornell, hirsute and cadaverous of aspect, nodded his head with emphasis and deposited a corpulent demijohn on the table.

    CHAPTER 20 2010

  • None of the men got drunk, although there were cocktails in vacuum bottles and red wine in a huge demijohn.

    CHAPTER VIII 2010

  • A new bridge was built near the ruins of the old bridge and the demijohn was subsequently moved to a very small park not too far from the river where it now stands.

    Archive 2009-08-01 AYDIN 2009

  • The big demijohn in the stern-sheets told his errand.

    Chapter 11 2010

  • Looking to his host for consent, Cornell tilted the demijohn over his arm and partly filled the four tin mugs and an empty jelly glass.

    CHAPTER 20 2010

  • Scotty, or whoever was my crew, with the can for beer and the demijohn for red wine.

    Chapter 11 2010

  • A new bridge was built near the ruins of the old bridge and the demijohn was subsequently moved to a very small park not too far from the river where it now stands.

    Jug Bridge Memorial AYDIN 2009

Comments

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  • C'mon, go the full john.

    May 24, 2011