'Jawbone' definitions:

Definition of 'jawbone'

noun

The jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth [syn: lower jaw, mandible, mandibula, mandibular bone, submaxilla, lower jawbone, jawbone, jowl]

verb

Talk idly or casually and in a friendly way [syn: shmooze, shmoose, schmooze, schmoose, jawbone]

From: GCIDE

From: GCIDE

jawbone \jaw"bone`\ (j[add]"b[=o]n`), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. jawboned (j[add]"b[=o]nd`); p. pr. & vb. n. jawboning.] To attempt to influence solely by talking, as contrasted with threatening or inducing by other means, e.g. legislation; esp. to make public appeals in order to influence the behavior of businessmen or labor leaders; -- used especially of the President or other high government officials; as, to jawbone businessmen into forgoing price increases. [1913 Webster] -- {jaw"bon*ing}, n. [PJC]

Jaw-bone of an ass afforded Samson a weapon for the great slaughter of the Philistines (Judg. 15.15), in which he slew a thousand men. In verse 19 the Authorized Version reads, "God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout." This is a mis-translation of the words. The rendering should be as in the Revised Version, "God clave the hollow place that is in Lehi," etc., Lehi (q.v.) being the name of the hill where this conflict was waged, possibly so called because it was in shape like a jaw-bone.