Etymology From the phrase jobbe of work (“piece of work”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a variant of Middle English gobbe (“mass, lump”); or perhaps related to Middle English jobben (“to jab, thrust, peck”), or Middle English choppe (“piece, bargain”). More at gob, jab, chop.
Often, With out To subcontract a project or delivery in small portions to a number of contractors.
We wanted to sell a turnkey plant, but they jobbed out the contract to small firms.
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To seek private gain under pretence of public service; to turn public matters to private advantage.
And judges job, and bishops bite the town.1733, Alexander Pope, Epistle to Bathurst:
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To hire or let in periods of service.
to job a carriage
[…] ...and a pair of handsome horses were jobbed, with which Jos drove about in state in the park...1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
Etymology From Latin Iob, from Ancient Greek Ἰώβ (Iṓb), from Biblical Hebrew אִיּוֹב (ʾiyyōḇ), related to אָיַב (ʾāyaḇ, “to be an enemy”) and אוֹיֵב (ʾōyēḇ, “enemy”).
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Figuratively A person who shows remarkable patience, especially in the face of great misfortune.
job
noun
Etymology From the phrase jobbe of work (“piece of work”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a variant of Middle English gobbe (“mass, lump”); or perhaps related to Middle English jobben (“to jab, thrust, peck”), or Middle English choppe (“piece, bargain”). More at gob, jab, chop.
I've got a job for you: could you wash the dishes?
I didn't speak to many coworkers for the first year on the job.
1 more example
And it's my job to take care of the skanks on the road that you bang.1996, Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire:
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An economic role for which a person is paid.
That surgeon has a great job.
He's been out of a job since being made redundant in January.
3 more examples
I was looking for a job and then I found a job / And heaven knows I'm miserable now1984, Johnny Marr & Morrissey, “Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now”, in Hatful of Hollow, performed by The Smiths:
Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
Here I am at my new job!2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
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In noun compounds Plastic surgery.
He had a nose job.
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In noun compounds A sex act.
hand job
You men have no idea what we're dealing with down there. Teeth placement, and jaw stress, and suction, and gag reflex, and all the while bobbing up and down, moaning and trying to breathe through our noses. Easy? Honey, they don't call it a job for nothing.2000 August 6, “Easy Come, Easy Go”, in Sex and the City, season 3, episode 9, spoken by Samantha:
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A task, or series of tasks, carried out in batch mode (especially on a mainframe computer).
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A public transaction done for private profit; something performed ostensibly as a part of official duty, but really for private gain; a corrupt official business.
This freak Vernon got the intelligence on the safe job and passed it on to some other freak, a guy that hears voices in his head and talks back to them. […] We don't think [Vernon's squeeze] is in on the heist, but she apparently is in love with this creep who is laying the pipe in her trough!2010, J. Lamar, Honor, Deception and Justice, page 53:
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Any affair or event which affects one, whether fortunately or unfortunately.
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Colloquial A thing or whatsit (often used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one cannot recall).
Pass me that little job with the screw thread on it.
One of them was about nine years ago when I stood in white tie and tails beside a little blonde job (laughter and applause) down in front of the First Methodist Church of Birmingham, […]1936, Proceedings of the annual meeting of the American Warehousemen's Association, volume 45, page 376:
“He was ex-job, Beavis. Detective sergeant out of County, Banbury, retired in ‘59.”2018 February 11, Colin Dexter, Russell Lewis, 14:17 from the start, in Endeavour(Cartouche), season 5, episode 2 (TV series), spoken by DS Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans):
But there it was on the screen: The personal details of his old colleague from Kennington station in the late nineties.[…]She’s job. We used to work together.2018 July 24, Chris Merritt, Last Witness:A Gripping Crime Thriller You Won’t Be Able To Put Down:
1 more example
“I’m job, DS Townsend. I have to report a missing person.”2022 February 9, Daragh Carville, Richard Clark, Furquan Akhtar, 01:33 from the start, in The Bay, season 3, episode 5, spoken by DS Jenn Townsend (Marsha Thomason):
Archaic, Regional To peck (of a bird); (more generally) to poke or prod (at, into).
a raven pitch'd upon him, and there sate, jobbing of the sore1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:
2
To pierce or poke (someone or something), typically with a sharp or pointed object; to stab.
He had ‘jobbed out’ the eye of one gentleman.1844, Charles Dickens, chapter 33, in Martin Chuzzlewit:
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Australia To hit (someone) with a quick, sharp punch; to jab.
A stranger jobbed me in the mug so hard that I fell off my chair.2001, Richard Flanagan, Gould's Book of Fish, Vintage, published 2016, page 40: