John-doe


noun
1.
an anonymous, average man.
2.
a fictitious name used in legal proceedings for a male party whose true name is not known.
Compare , .
3.
of or for an unknown person; using the name John Doe to stand for an unknown person:
The judge issued a John Doe warrant so the police could arrest the culprit when they identified him.
4.
an unidentified man:
The police were looking for a John Doe.
noun
1.
See Doe
n.

fictitious plaintiff in a legal action, attested from 1768 (in Blackstone). The fictitious defendant was Richard Roe. If female, Jane Doe, Jane Roe. Replaced earlier John-a-nokes (1530s) or Jack Nokes, who usually was paired with John-a-stiles or Tom Stiles. Also used of plaintiffs or defendants who have reason to be anonymous. By 1852, John Doe was being used in North America for “any man whose name is not known,” but Britain tended to preserve it in the narrower legal sense “name of the fictitious plaintiff in actions of ejectment.” John Doe warrant attested from 1935.

noun phrase

Any man; the average man; joe

[1768+; originally the fictitious plaintiff and defendant in a lawsuit]
1.
Also, John Q. Public ; Joe Blow ; Joe Doakes ; Joe Zilch . An average undistinguished man; also, the average citizen. For example, This television show is just right for a John Doe , or It’s up to John Q. Public to go to the polls and vote . Originally used from the 13th century on legal documents as an alias to protect a witness, John Doe acquired the sense of “ordinary person” in the 1800s. The variants date from the 1900s. Also see Joe six-pack
2.
Also, Jane Doe. An unknown individual, as in The police found a John Doe lying on the street last night, or The judge issued a warrant for the arrest of the perpetrators, Jane Doe no. 1 and Jane Doe no. 2. [ Second half of 1900s ]

Read Also:

  • John-dory

    [dawr-ee, dohr-ee] /ˈdɔr i, ˈdoʊr i/ noun, plural John Dories. 1. any fish of the family Zeidae, especially Zeus faber, of European seas, having a vertically compressed body and long spines in the dorsal fin. /ˈdɔːrɪ/ noun 1. a European dory (the fish), Zeus faber, having a deep compressed body, spiny dorsal fins, and massive […]

  • John endicott

    [en-di-kuh t, -kot] /ˈɛn dɪ kət, -ˌkɒt/ noun 1. John, 1588?–1665, colonial governor of Massachusetts 1644–65, born in England. [en-di-kuh t, -kot] /ˈɛn dɪ kət, -ˌkɒt/ noun 1. John, . 2. a city in S New York, on the Susquehanna River.

  • John firth

    [furth] /fɜrθ/ noun 1. John Rupert, 1890–1960, English linguist. /fɜːθ/ noun 1. a relatively narrow inlet of the sea, esp in Scotland n. “arm of the sea, estuary of a river,” early 15c., Scottish, from Old Norse fjörðr (see fjord). firth (fûrth) A long, narrow inlet of the sea. Firths are usually the lower part […]

  • John fitch

    [fich] /fɪtʃ/ noun 1. John, 1743–98, U.S. inventor: pioneer in development of the steamboat. 2. (William) Clyde, 1865–1909, U.S. playwright. /fɪtʃ/ noun 1. another name for polecat (sense 1) 2. the fur of the polecat or ferret

  • John fletcher

    [flech-er] /ˈflɛtʃ ər/ noun 1. John, 1579–1625, English dramatist: collaborated with Francis Beaumont 1606?–16; with Philip Massinger 1613–25. 2. John Gould, 1886–1950, U.S. poet. 3. a male given name. /ˈflɛtʃə/ noun 1. a person who makes arrows /ˈflɛtʃə/ noun 1. John. 1579–1625, English Jacobean dramatist, noted for his romantic tragicomedies written in collaboration with Francis […]


Disclaimer: John-doe definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.