Jonahn.
/ˈdʒəʊnə/, U.S. /ˈdʒoʊnə/ Used allusively, in senses thence derived.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > [noun] > misfortune or ill-luck > unfortunate person
infortunate?a1439
Jonah1612
unfortunate1683
misfortunera1774
misadventurer1886
1612 T. Lavender Trav. Certaine Englishmen Pref. to Rdr. C j [He] thought it best to make a Ionas of him, and so cast both him and his books into the Sea.
1663 J. Spencer Disc. Prodigies (1665) 369 They were always presumed the Jonas's which raised all the storms in the State.
1679 Established Test 9 One of the Jonahs that was.. heaved over the Decks to allay the Tempest.
a1885 ‘H. Conway’ Living or Dead viii You must be very lucky in love..for you are a regular Jonah at cards.
1887 Spectator 5 Nov. 1479 To make a Jonah of the one of its members who is probably least in fault.
Compounds
Jonah-crab n. a large crab ( Cancer borealis) of the eastern coast of North America.
ΚΠ
1893 I. K. Funk et al. Standard Dict. Eng. Lang. I
Derivatives
ˈjonah v. (transitive) to bring ill luck to.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > adversity > calamity or misfortune > have befallen as a misfortune to [verb (transitive)] > render unfortunate
infortunate1571
unfortunate1653
hoodoo1868
jonah1887
jinx1917
1887 W. Black Sabina Zembra 282 I seem to Jonah everything I touch.
1897 R. Kipling Captains Courageous 97 A Jonah's anything that spoils the luck... I've known a splittin'-knife Jonah two trips till we was on to her.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1901; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1612