jetty

Definition

A part of a building that jets or projects beyond the rest; specifically, an upper storey which overhangs the part of the building below.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Late Middle English gete, jette, jetti (“projecting upper storey of a building, overhang; breakwater, pier, jetty”), from Anglo-Norman geté, getee, getté, and Middle French geté, getee, jeté (“projecting upper storey of a building; breakwater, pier”) (modern French jetée), a noun use of the past participle of geter, jeter, from Old French geter, jeter (“to throw”) from Late Latin iectāre, the present active infinitive of iectō (“to throw”), probably from Latin iactō (“to cast, hurl, throw”), from iaciō (“to cast, hurl, throw”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- (“to throw”)) + -tō (frequentative suffix). Compare jet (“(obsolete) protruding part”), jutty. The verb is derived from the noun.

Example Sentences

• "Spérto, a porch, a portall, a baie vvindovv, or out butting, or iettie of a houſe that ietties out farther than anie other part of the houſe, a iettie or butte."
• "Moſt prepoſtrous therefore and improper is our frequent aſſigning ſuch vveak ſupporters to ſuch monſtrous jetties and exceſſive Superſtructures as vve many times find under Balconies, Bay-VVindovvs and long Galleries, […]"
• "[I]t appeareth that all the auncient Townes and Citties which ſtand vppon the Riuers of Rhyne and Danowe, towardes Fraunce and Italy, did ſerue rather for a Banke or Iettie againſt the ouerflowing of the Germanes, than for Fortreſſes to aſſayle them withall."