j

• Dixième lettre de l'alphabet anglais, consonne. Désigne l'affriquée palato-alvéolaire voisée /dʒ/. Dernière lettre ajoutée à l'alphabet latin. Utilisée pour désigner le dixième élément, comme abréviation de juge, de journal scientifique, de joule en physique, ou comme argot pour un joint de marijuana.

The tenth letter of the English alphabet and the seventh consonant, representing the voiced palato-alveolar affricate sound /dʒ/ as in 'jump'. As a grapheme, 'J' was the last letter to be added to the Latin alphabet, originally emerging as a swash variant of the letter I during the Middle Ages. It is relatively rare in native English words but common in proper names and loanwords. It functions as a designation for the tenth item in a sequence, an abbreviation for journal or judge, a hypothetical unit in physics, and a slang term for a cannabis cigarette.

1. The tenth letter of the English alphabetA1formal

   The uppercase or lowercase character (J, j) that constitutes the tenth symbol in the Latin-based English alphabet, classified as a consonant. It consistently represents the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /dʒ/ in modern English. Historically, J was the most recent addition to the Latin alphabet, evolving from a calligraphic flourish on the letter I in medieval manuscripts. It was not consistently distinguished from I as a separate letter until the 17th century.

   Lettre j

   • The word 'jump' begins with the letter J.
   • Her name starts with a capital J followed by an e.
   • The letter J is the only letter not found in the periodic table of elements.
   • Many languages do not have the J sound in their native phonology.
   • The lowercase j descends below the baseline and has a small dot above it.

2. An abbreviation for Judge in legal contextsB1formallegal

   The letter J used as a standard written abbreviation for the title 'Judge' in legal documents, court opinions, case citations, and formal correspondence. When appearing before a surname, typically with a period (e.g., J. Smith), it indicates the individual holds judicial office. In appellate court opinions, multiple judges are often abbreviated as JJ. This usage is restricted to professional legal writing and formal address.

   Juge (abréviation)

   • The opinion was delivered by J. Roberts for the majority.
   • The case citation reads 'Smith v. Jones, 123 U.S. 456 (J. Marshall)'.
   • The document was signed by J. Thompson at the bottom of the order.
   • The court's panel consisted of JJ. Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor.
   • He addressed the envelope to Hon. J. Williams at the courthouse.

3. The joule, a unit of energy in physicsB2formalscientific

   The uppercase letter J used as the standard symbol for the joule, the derived unit of energy, work, or amount of heat in the International System of Units (SI). One joule is defined as the work done when a force of one newton displaces an object by one meter in the direction of the force. It is equivalent to one watt-second and approximately 0.239 calories. Named after English physicist James Prescott Joule.

   Joule (symbole J)

   • The kinetic energy of the moving object was calculated to be 450 J.
   • One calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 J.
   • The light bulb consumes energy at a rate of 60 J per second.
   • The battery stores 10,000 J of electrical energy when fully charged.
   • The experiment measured the work output as 250 J.

4. A slang term for a marijuana cigaretteB2slang

   An informal term used in cannabis culture to refer to a hand-rolled cigarette containing marijuana. The 'J' is a clipped form of the word 'joint'. This usage is widespread in casual speech, music lyrics, and social media among cannabis users. The term is considered slang and is typically avoided in formal contexts or by those unfamiliar with drug subculture.

   Joint de marijuana

   • He rolled a J and passed it to his friend.
   • The lyrics mentioned smoking a J on the rooftop.
   • She asked if anyone wanted to share a J after the concert.
   • The smell suggested someone nearby was burning a J.
   • They sat in the park passing around a J and watching the sunset.

5. The tenth item in a sequence or classificationA2formal

   A designation used to mark the tenth position, item, or category within a structured sequence, directly following I. It is frequently applied in outlines, multiple-choice options, spreadsheet columns, vehicle trim levels, and section labeling. As the tenth letter, it marks the transition from single-digit to double-digit numbering when letters are used as numerical proxies in certain coding systems.

   Dixième élément d'une séquence

   • Column J in the spreadsheet contains the annual revenue figures.
   • If Option I doesn't work, we can always try Option J.
   • The vehicle identification number's tenth character was a J.
   • Section J of the report details the environmental impact.
   • The seating chart placed us in Row J, exactly in the middle of the theater.