joker

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: jok=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

joker, n. 

•  One who makes jokes or jests.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Best bower, under 2d Bower.  [1913 Webster]
•  An extra card usually included in a deck of playing cards, having the same design as the others on the back, but on the face having a picture of a jester. It is not included in the deck used in most games, but in certain games may be included and then takes on a special value, such as the highest-valued card, or a wild card.  [PJC]
•  A clause placed in a document, such as a contract or a piece of legislation, not itself appearing significant, but in a subtle way substantially changing the effect of the document.  [PJC]
•  Any fact or condition which is unknown or not apparent, which reverses an apparently advantageous position; a kicker.  [PJC]
•  A person; a fellow; a chap; -- usually used in a mildly disparaging sense; as, who's the joker who left the ice cream on the table?.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

joker, n.
1 a person who jokes.
2 sl. a fellow; a man.
3 a playing-card usu. with a figure of a jester, used in some games esp. as a wild card.
4 US a clause unobtrusively inserted in a bill or document and affecting its operation in a way not immediately apparent.
5 an unexpected factor or resource.

Idiom

the joker in the pack an unpredictable factor or participant.

THESAURUS

joker

Adamite, Artful Dodger, Casanova, Don Juan, Machiavel, Machiavelli, Machiavellian, ace, actor, artful dodge, artifice, astonishment, bad boy, bag of tricks, bamboozler, banana, bastard, befuddler, beguiler, being, best bower, bill, bird, blind, block, blockade, blockbuster, blow, bluff, body, bomb, bombshell, booger, bosey, bottleneck, boundary condition, bower, buffoon, bugger, burlesquer, calendar, card, cards, caricaturist, cat, catch, catch-22, chap, character, charmer, chicanery, chouse, clause, clown, clubs, comedian, comedienne, comic, companion bills amendment, condition, cordon, counterfeiter, creature, crux, curtain, curve, curve-ball, customer, cutup, deceiver, deck, deluder, design, determent, deterrent, deuce, device, devil, diamonds, difficulty, dirty deal, dirty trick, dissembler, dissimulator, dodge, dodger, donnee, double-dealer, dragnet clause, drawback, droll, duck, dummy, duper, earthling, earthshaker, elf, enacting clause, enchanter, enfant terrible, entrancer, epigrammatist, escalator clause, escape clause, escape hatch, eye-opener, face cards, faker, farceur, fast deal, feint, feller, fellow, fetch, ficelle, fine print, flush, fooler, forger, full house, funmaker, funnyman, gag writer, gagman, gagster, gambit, gay deceiver, gimmick, given, googly, groundling, grounds, guy, hand, hang-up, hazard, head, hearts, hitch, hoaxer, hocus-pocus, hold-up bill, homo, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, human, human being, humorist, hurdle, hypnotizer, imp, individual, ironist, jack, jasper, jester, jilt, jilter, jokesmith, jokester, juggle, kicker, kidder, king, knave, lad, lampooner, left bower, leg-puller, life, limiting condition, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, living soul, madcap, man, mesmerizer, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, misleader, mortal, motion, nose, objection, obligation, obstacle, obstruction, obstructive, omnibus bill, one, one small difficulty, pack, pair, parameter, parodist, party, pass, peripeteia, person, personage, personality, picture cards, pinch, pitfall, pixie, plagiarist, plagiarizer, playactor, playing cards, ploy, practical joker, prankster, prerequisite, privileged question, provision, provisions, proviso, puck, punner, punster, queen, question, quipster, ragger, rapscallion, rascal, reparteeist, requisite, revelation, rider, rogue, role-player, round, rowdy, royal flush, rub, rubber, ruff, ruffian, ruse, satirist, saving clause, scamp, scapegrace, scheme, scurvy trick, seducer, shift, shocker, sine qua non, single, singleton, sleight, sleight of hand, sleight-of-hand trick, small print, snag, somebody, someone, soul, spades, specification, spoofer, staggerer, startler, stipulation, straight, stratagem, string, stud, stumbling block, stumbling stone, subterfuge, surprisal, surprise, surprise ending, surprise package, surprise party, switch, tease, teaser, tellurian, terms, terran, thunderbolt, thunderclap, trap, trey, trick, trickster, trump, twist, ultimatum, wag, wagwit, whereas, wile, wisecracker, wit, witling, worldling, zany

ROGET THESAURUS

joker

Amusement

N amusement, entertainment, recreation, fun, game, fun and games, diversion, divertissement, reaction, solace, pastime, passetemps, sport, labor of love, pleasure, relaxation, leisure, fun, frolic, merriment, jollity, joviality, jovialness, heyday, laughter, jocosity, jocoseness, drollery, buffoonery, tomfoolery, mummery, pleasantry, wit, quip, quirk, giggle, titter, snigger, snicker, crow, cheer, chuckle, shout, horse laugh, belly laugh, hearty laugh, guffaw, burst of laughter, fit of laughter, shout of laughter, roar of laughter, peal of laughter, cachinnation, Kentish fire, tiger, play, game, game at romps, gambol, romp, prank, antic, rig, lark, spree, skylarking, vagary, monkey trick, gambade, fredaine, escapade, echappee, bout, espieglerie, practical joke, dance, hop, reel, rigadoon, saraband, hornpipe, bolero, ballroom dance, minuet, waltz, polka, fox trot, tango, samba, rhumba, twist, stroll, hustle, cha-cha, fandango, cancan, bayadere, breakdown, cake-walk, cornwallis, break dancing, nautch-girl, shindig, skirtdance, stag dance, Virginia reel, square dance, galop, galopade, jig, Irish jig, fling, strathspey, allemande, gavot, gavotte, tarantella, mazurka, morisco, morris dance, quadrille, country dance, folk dance, cotillon, Sir Roger de Coverley, ballet, ball, bal, bal masque, bal costume, masquerade, Terpsichore, festivity, merrymaking, party, blowout, hullabaloo, hoedown, bat, bum, bust, clambake, donation party, fish fry, jamboree, kantikoy, nautch, randy, squantum, tear, Turnerfest, yule log, fete, festival, gala, ridotto, revels, revelry, reveling, carnival, brawl, saturnalia, high jinks, feast, banquet, regale, symposium, wassail, carouse, carousal, jollification, junket, wake, Irish wake, picnic, fete champetre, regatta, field day, treat, round of pleasures, dissipation, a short life and a merry one, racketing, holiday making, rejoicing, jubilee, bonfire, fireworks, feu-de-joie, firecracker, holiday, gala day, red letter day, play day, high days and holidays, high holiday, Bank holiday, May day, Derby day, Saint Monday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Bairam, wayz-goos, bean feast, Arbor Day, Declaration Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Mardi gras, mi-careme, feria, fiesta, place of amusement, theater, hall, concert room, ballroom, assemblyroom, music hall, park, plaisance, national park, national forest, state park, county park, city park, vest-pocket park, public park (public), arbor, garden, pleasure ground, playground, cricketground, croquet ground, archery ground, hunting ground, tennis court, racket court, bowling alley, green alley, croquet lawn, rink, glaciarum, skating rink, roundabout, merry-go-round, swing, montagne Russe, game of chance, game of skill, athletic sports, gymnastics, archery, rifle shooting, tournament, pugilism, sports, horse racing, the turf, aquatics, skating, sliding, cricket, tennis, lawn tennis, hockey, football, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, rackets, fives, trap bat and ball, battledore and shuttlecock, la grace, pall- mall, tipcat, croquet, golf, curling, pallone, polo, water polo, tent pegging, tilting at the ring, quintain, greasy pole, quoits, horseshoes, discus, rounders, lacrosse, tobogganing, water polo, knurr and spell, leapfrog, hop skip and jump, mother may I, French and English, tug of war, blindman's bluff, hunt the slopper, hide and seek, kiss in the ring, snapdragon, cross questions and crooked answers, crisscross, hopscotch, jacks, jackstones, marbles, mumblety-peg, mumble-the-peg, pushball, shinney, shinny, tag, billiards, pool, pingpong, pyramids, bagatelle, bowls, skittles, ninepins, kain, American bowls, tenpins, tivoli, cards, card games, whist, rubber, round game, loo, cribbage, besique, euchre, drole, ecarte, picquet, allfours, quadrille, omber, reverse, Pope Joan, commit, boston, boaston, blackjack, twenty- one, vingtun, quinze, thirty-one, put, speculation, connections, brag, cassino, lottery, commerce, snip-snap-snoren, lift smoke, blind hookey, Polish bank, Earl of Coventry, Napoleon, patience, pairs, banker, blind poker, draw poker, straight poker, stud poker, bluff, bridge, bridge whist, lotto, monte, three-card monte, nap, penny-ante, poker, reversis, squeezers, old maid, fright, beggar-my- neighbor, baccarat, ace, king, queen, knave, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, trey, deuce, joker, trump, wild card, spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, major suit, minor suit, bower, right bower, left bower, dummy, jackpot, deck, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full-house, four of a kind, royal flush, misere chess, draughts, checkers, checquers, backgammon, dominos, merelles, nine men's morris, go bang, solitaire, game of fox and goose, monopoly, loto, scrabble, scribbage, boggle, crossword puzzle, hangman, morra, gambling, toy, plaything, bauble, doll, teetotum, knickknack, magic lantern, peep show, puppet show, raree show, gallanty show, toy shop, quips and cranks and wanton wiles, nods and becks and wreathed smiles, entertainer, showman, showgirl, dancer, tap dancer, song-and-dance man, vaudeville act, singer, musician, sportsman, gamester, reveler, master of ceremonies, master of revels, pompom girl, arbiter elegantiarum, arbiter bibendi, archer, fan, toxophilite, turfman, amusing, entertaining, diverting, recreational, recreative, lusory, pleasant, laughable, witty, fun, festive, festal, jovial, jolly, jocund, roguish, rompish, playful, playful as a kitten, sportive, ludibrious, funny, very funny, hilarious, uproarious, side-splitting, amused, pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw, laughing, risible, ready to burst, ready to split, ready to die with laughter, convulsed with laughter, rolling in the aisles, on the light fantastic toe, at play, in sport, Int, vive la bagatelle!, vogue la galere!, deus nobis haec otia fecit, dum vivimus vivamus, dulce est desipere in loco, (every room) hath blazed with lights and brayed wi, misce stullitiam consiliis brevem.

Humorist

N humorist, wag, wit, reparteeist, epigrammatist, punster, bel esprit, life of the party, wit-snapper, wit-cracker, wit- worm, joker, jester, Joe Miller, drole de corps, gaillard, spark, bon diable, practical joker, buffoon, farceur, merry-andrew, mime, tumbler, acrobat, mountebank, charlatan, posturemaster, harlequin, punch, pulcinella, scaramouch, clown, wearer of the cap and bells, wearer of the motley, motley fool, pantaloon, gypsy, jack-pudding, jack in the green, jack a dandy, wiseacre, wise guy, smartass, fool, zany, madcap, pickle-herring, witling, caricaturist, grimacier, persifleur.