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 names 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The rapper, whose mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, is one of 2024’s best albums, followed up with an energetic set of her own, with help from the band and DJ Miss Milan. Rolling Stone, 23 Nov. 2024 DelVecchio, 44, shared a grid of photos of himself and Polizzi — some old and some new — with the DJ’s iconic hair towering high and the mom of three posing with her signature duck lips. Bailey Richards, People.com, 23 Nov. 2024 Other owners of similar Billionaire timepieces include Floyd Mayweather, Rick Ross, and DJ Khaled. Sophie Furley, Robb Report, 23 Nov. 2024 All that and a hometown hero whose reputation in the world of DJ culture rests primarily on his role in defining the art of the mashup mashing things up between while opening the show and serving as de facto MC? Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for DJ 

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 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

DJ

noun
ˈdē-ˌjā
often not capitalized

More from Merriam-Webster on DJ

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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