DJ

1 of 3

noun

plural DJs
: disc jockey
When they [the Beatles] arrived in the U.S. in 1964, John Lennon spent his first night in New York in his hotel room, calling up radio DJs and asking them to play the Ronettes.Rob Sheffield
A hip-hop DJ's roles can be multi-faceted: finding the music for dancing, playing the popular tracks, being the rapper's background band, having, maintaining, and providing the equipment, producing the beats, and not least improvising instrumental solos.Kjetil Falkenberg Hansen
sometimes used as a title in the stage name of disc jockeys
Jeffrey Allen Townes, better known as DJ Jazzy Jeff, is a producer, deejay and actor …Greg Bishop

DJ

2 of 3

verb

DJed also DJ'd; DJing; DJs

transitive + intransitive

: to perform the role of a disc jockey : to act as a DJ for
Snoop Dogg has revealed that he turned down [an] offer to DJ a party for Michael Jordan.Will Lavin
The distinctiveness of DJing in hip hop started with the development of adroit techniques on two turntables.Patrick Rivers
There was a festive vibe as [Herman] Matfes DJ'd the event with fun Hanukkah and holiday music.Lani Mustacchi
… Paris Hilton DJed a New Year's Eve party on her own virtual island this year.Brad Thomas

DJ

3 of 3

abbreviation

1
district judge
2
doctor of jurisprudence
3
dust jacket

Examples of DJ in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Coming off of his 2023 Coachella performance and an Electronic Dance Music Award for Best Radio Show (Process Radio), French DJ and producer Dombresky has continued his momentum into 2024 with his Sound of the Drums EP collab with London duo JADED and his LIFT OFF Tour. Danny Klein, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2024 Desert Smash Charlize Theron, Yvonne Orji, Gavin Rosedale, Reggie Bush and DJ Zuri Marley were among the stars in attendance at the 20th annual Desert Smash celebrity charity tennis event, celebrating with the tournament’s official tequila Maestro Dobel Tequila. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The rest of the bill, which includes Omarion, Jeezy and Tamia as well as special DJ sets from Kid Capri, DJ Cassidy and Miami’s own DJ Nasty 305, has a little something for everybody. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The nickname was popularized by DJ and actor Ian Alexander Jr, who died by suicide at 26. Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Til Next Time is also slated to feature another pair of anthems with Drake, and Khaled hasn’t been shy about letting people know about his collabs with The Boy. Watch the video of DJ Khaled being carried to the stage below. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2024 Over 20 years after Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was shot to death in his Queens recording studio, two men have been convicted for the murder. Thania Garcia, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 During the trial, prosecutors argued that Jam Master Jay was involved in a cocaine-trafficking scheme, and that a dispute with Jordan and Washington led the DJ to cut the men out of a drug deal that could have been worth $200,000. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2024 Kids can play with White House building blocks or create a Lincoln-esque stovepipe hat, and visitors of all ages can enjoy a performance by the Linton Hall School Fife and Drum Corps or dance to music from DJ Farrah Flosscett. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'DJ.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1946, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of DJ was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near DJ

Cite this Entry

“DJ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DJ. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

DJ

noun
ˈdē-ˌjā
often not capitalized

More from Merriam-Webster on DJ

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