Definition

1. Noun:
   • A short crowbar: A small, heavy iron or steel bar, typically with a curved end, used as a lever for forcing open doors, windows, or containers. It is a tool often associated with burglars or forced entry.

Usage

• The word "jemmy" is primarily used as a noun to refer to the tool itself. It is a specific term, most common in British English, where it is synonymous with "jimmy."

Examples

• Noun:
  • The burglar used a jemmy to pry open the window.
  • Police found a jemmy at the scene of the break-in.

Advanced Usage

• "to jemmy (open)": Occasionally used as a verb meaning to force something open with a jemmy.
  • He jemmied open the locked drawer.

Variants and Related Words

• Jimmy (noun): The common American English equivalent for the same tool.
  • In the US, a burglar might use a jimmy.

Synonyms

• Crowbar: A more general term for a heavy iron bar used as a lever.
• Pry bar: A tool used for prying things open or apart.

Different Meanings

• Jemmy (noun, historical/colloquial): In 19th-century British slang, "jemmy" could also refer to a baked sheep's head as a dish. This usage is now archaic and rare.
  • He ordered a jemmy for his supper. (historical context)

Noun

1. a short crowbar
   • in Britain they call a jimmy and jemmy