jab n.
1. an injection.
(a) (drugs) an injection of a narcotic drug.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | St Paul Globe (MN) 4 Dec. 20/4: He was a confirmed victim of the needle, and required rather regular jabs to keep keyed up to the notch. | |
| Anderson Intelligencer (SC) 30 July 2/4: Opium is a popular drug and almost any form of ‘hop’ is relished. The left arm of a black prisoner [...] was fearfully lacerated by continued jabs from a hypodermic syringe. | |
| Vocab. Criminal Sl. 48: jab [...] current amongst morphine and cocaine fiends. A hypodermic injection. | |
| Drag (1997) Act II: She needed a jab. She’s been taking heroin and morphine by the barrels. | |
| (con. 1920s) Behind The Green Lights 351: Wild for a sniff or a jab, he sees on your desk a package of cocaine, heroin or morphine. | |
| Criminal Sl. (rev. edn). | |
| Narcotics Lingo and Lore. | |
| World’s Toughest Prison 805: jab – A hypodermic injection. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 94/1: jab n. 2 a hypodermic injection. |
(b) (orig. milit.) an inoculation, any form of injection, esp. against diseases such as TB and polio.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | They Die with Their Boots Clean 51: First time that feller got a Jab, he went out like a light. | |
| Gun in My Hand 59: Men lining up for jabs. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Traveller’s Tool 32: There are no jabs necessary for Australia. | |
| Dying of the Light 13: They’ll stop your meals! They’ll give you jabs! | |
| Indep. on Sun. 9 Jan. 3: You should go to your GP and get a flu jab. |
2. (US) in fig. use, an attempt, a try.
| ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 43: jab, n. An attempt at anything. | |
| Battlers 174: I’ll be with the first to take a bayonet and have a jab at old Hitler. |
3. (US/Irish) an act of copulation.
| Come Monday Morning 128: Even if he got drunk enough endin’ up givin’ ole mattressback Carol a fast jab or two. | |
| Sky Ray Lolly 28: Lying till sex becomes / duty, a daily pinta, Sunday joint / or yearly jab? | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Breakfast on Pluto 1: I’ll leave the door open tonight and you can all troop in and give me a jab. |
4. (NZ prison) marijuana [? misinterpretation of next].
| ‘Boob Jargon’ in NZEJ 13 32: jab n. Marijuana. |
5. (N.Z. prison) a hypodermic syringe.
| Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 94/1: jab n. 1 needle. |
6. (Irish) a woman’s breast; usu. in pl.
| Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Jabs (n): breasts. |
In phrases
(US prison) a lethal injection, used in executions.
| Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Big Jab: Lethal injection. Also, ‘stainless steel ride,’ ‘doctorate in applied chemestry,’ [sic] or the ‘needle.’. |