plural johns
1
[probably short for johnny, johnny house privy]
: toilet sense 1
2
: a sex worker's client
1
: a Jewish prophet who according to Gospel accounts foretold Jesus' messianic ministry and baptized him
called also John the Baptist
2
: an apostle who according to various Christian traditions wrote the fourth Gospel, the three Johannine Epistles, and the Book of Revelation
3
: the fourth Gospel in the New Testament see Bible Table
4
: any of three short didactic letters addressed to early Christians and included in the New Testament see Bible Table
Synonyms
Examples of john in a Sentence
Noun (1)
Excuse me, I have to go to the john.
man, that guy seems to spend hours in the john
Recent Examples on the Web
Anita Chabriacolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2022
The forced execution of Flora by Joanie behind closed whorehouse doors evokes Trixie’s murder of an abusive john in the pilot (his corpse becoming pig chow).
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2021
Outdoorsmen who might be tempted to scoff at portable commodes have clearly never tried to dig a latrine in ground that’s rock-solid frozen, or been stuck in an ice-fishing shack over a long weekend, with the nearest port-a-john nowhere in sight.
—Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2020
Fresh cut by uncle @bumper3077, the man responsible for john’s beard and hair his entire life!
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 26 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for john 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
Not a single john was named in the conspiracy, despite there likely being hundreds.
—Anita Chabriacolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2022
The forced execution of Flora by Joanie behind closed whorehouse doors evokes Trixie’s murder of an abusive john in the pilot (his corpse becoming pig chow).
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2021
Outdoorsmen who might be tempted to scoff at portable commodes have clearly never tried to dig a latrine in ground that’s rock-solid frozen, or been stuck in an ice-fishing shack over a long weekend, with the nearest port-a-john nowhere in sight.
—Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2020
Fresh cut by uncle @bumper3077, the man responsible for john’s beard and hair his entire life!
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 26 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for john
Dictionary Entries Near john
Cite this Entry
“John.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/john. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
john
noun
: a prostitute's client
Biographical Definition
John 1 of 3
biographical name (1)
name of 21 popes: especially XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli) 1881–1963 (pope 1958–63)
John
2 of 3biographical name (2)
1167–1216
John Lackland
ˈlak-ˌland 
king of England (1199–1216)
king of England (1199–1216)
John
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Augustus Edwin 1878–1961 British painter and etcher
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share