From the male given name John (q.v.), whose ubiquity led to extensive use of the name in generic contexts.

• (America) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɑn/
• (RP) IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɒn/

john (plural johns)

1. (slang) A prostitute's client.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:prostitute's client

   • 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Not too Far Tangent”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 22 ↗:

     The girls sat there while the johns (customers) moped around giving them the once-over.

   • 2004, Dennis Cooper, The Sluts, page 233:

     In the first part of the video, Thad sucks the john's cock and takes a load in his mouth.

   • 2013, McLachlin CJ, Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford (2013 SCC 72 ↗), para. 62

     In-calls, where the john comes to the prostitute’s residence, are prohibited.

2. (slang, US) A device or place to urinate and defecate: now usually a toilet or lavatory, but also (dated) a chamber pot or outhouse.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:chamber pot, Thesaurus:toilet, Thesaurus:bathroom

3. (slang) A Western man traveling in East Asia.
4. A male mule.

• French: micheton, miché
• German: Freier
• Portuguese: cabrito
• Spanish: putero, gatero (Arg., informal)

• Portuguese: casinha
• Russian: ну́жник

From Middle English John, Johan, Johannes, from Anglo-Norman Jehan, Johan, and also Old English Iohannes, both from Late Latin Iōhannēs, variant of Latin Iōannēs, from grc-koi Ἰωάννης, from hbo יוֹחָנָן, perhaps contracted from a former יְהוֹחָנָן ("God is gracious").

• (RP) IPA: /d͡ʒɒn/
• (America) IPA: /d͡ʒɑn/

1. A male given name; very popular since the Middle Ages.
   • 1920, John Collings Squire, “Initials”, in Life and Letters: Essays, Hodder & Stoughton, pages 233–235:

     The name I refer to is John. It has been borne by many illustrious men and an innumerable multitude of the obscure. - - - It is as fixed as the English landscape and the procession of seasons. It never becomes wearisome or tarnished. Nothing affects it; nothing can bring it into contempt; it stands like a rock amid the turbulent waves of human history, as fine and noble a thing now as it was when it first took shape on human lips. It is a name to live up to; but if one who bears it sinks into disrepute it falls not with him, but rather stays in the firmament above him, shining down upon him like a reproachful star.

   1. (informal) Used generically for a man whose actual name may not be known.

      a John Doe murder case; the dreaded Dear John letter; if we were to ask John Q. Public his opinion

   2. (informal) Used frequently to form an idea personified, as in John Bull, John Barleycorn (see derivations below).
2. (biblical) Persons of the Christian Bible: John the Baptist; and names possibly referring to one, two or three persons, frequently called "Saint": John the Apostle, John the Evangelist and John of Patmos (also called John the Divine or John the Theologian).
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, John 1:6 ↗:

     There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

3. (biblical) The Gospel of St. John, a book of the New Testament of the Bible. Traditionally the fourth of the four gospels.
4. (biblical) One of the books in the New Testament of the Bible, the epistles of John (1 John, 2 John and 3 John).
5. Surname.

• (name used to address a man whose actual name is not known (standard)) sir
• (name used to address a man whose actual name is not known(colloquial or slang)) boy (especially to a younger man), bro (US, New Zealand), gov or guv (British), guvnor (British), Mac (US), man (especially US), mate (British, Australian), mister, son (to a younger man), buddy (Canada)

• (feminine forms of John)
• (diminutives)
  • Johnnie
  • Johnny
• (male names related to given name John)
• (surnames related to the given name John)

• French: Jean
• German: Johann, Johannes, Jan, Hans
• Italian: Giovanni
• Portuguese: João
• Russian: Ива́н
• Spanish: Juan, Iván

• French: Jean
• German: Johannes
• Italian: Giovanni
• Portuguese: João
• Russian: Иоанн
• Spanish: Juan

• French: (Évangile selon) Jean, Jn
• German: (das Evangelium nach) Johannes, Joh
• Italian: Vangelo di Giovanni, Vangelo secondo Giovanni
• Portuguese: João
• Russian: Евангелие от Иоанна
• Spanish: Juan, Evangelio según San Juan

• French: Jean, 1, 2, 3 Jn
• German: Johannes, 1, 2, 3 Joh
• Italian: Giano
• Portuguese: João
• Spanish: Juan

• German: Otto
• Italian: Tizio, Caio, Sempronio
• Portuguese: joão
• Spanish: Fulano, Mengano, Zutano

john (plural johns)

1. (UK, military, slang) A new recruit at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
   • 1842, The United Service Magazine:

     I and the other "Johns," as I soon discovered all new-comers at Sandhurst were, and are still, styled, although at the time I was unconscious of it, managed to troop in after the A company, but although not two minutes after them, found all the different messes already seated and hard at work.

2. (US, slang, archaic) Alternative case form of john: a toilet, lavatory, outhouse, or chamber pot.

• See Thesaurus:toilet, Thesaurus:bathroom, and Thesaurus:chamber pot