jugular

[juhg-yuh-ler, joo-gyuh-] /ˈdʒʌg yə lər, ˈdʒu gyə-/

adjective

Anatomy.

of or pertaining to the throat or neck.
noting or pertaining to any of certain large veins of the neck, especially one (external jugular vein) collecting blood from the superficial parts of the head or one (internal jugular vein) collecting blood from within the skull.

(of a fish) having the pelvic fins at the throat, before the pectoral fins.

noun

Anatomy. a jugular vein.

Idioms

go for the jugular, to attack a vital and vulnerable trait, feature, element, etc., in an attempt to overcome somebody or something swiftly and totally:

The defense attorney went right for the jugular by attempting to destroy the witness's credibility.

Origin

1590-1600; < Late Latin jugulāris, equivalent to Latin jugul(um) throat (see jugulate) + -āris -ar¹

Related forms

interjugular, adjective

postjugular, adjective

subjugular, adjective

Can be confused

juggler, jugular.

Examples from the web for jugular

The second hits the heir in the neck, severing his jugular vein.
She goes for the jugular immediately and reaches positions that are so complicated they give me a headache to look at.
The bullet severed the optic nerve in his right eye before shattering his jaw and then lodging in his neck near his jugular vein.
Rather than talking in a mature manner about intellectual disagreements, these individuals have to go for the jugular.
Don't get freaked out by cranky, go-for-the-jugular-for-fun types at your job talk and your meetings with the faculty.
Sometimes they will still be alive with holes in their windpipe instead of their jugular vein.
The creative team shied away from full-on screwball anarchy, from a lunge at the social jugular.
Next, she put in a central line-a twelve-inch catheter pushed into the jugular vein in his left neck.
Professional players are agreed that the real dividing line among poker players is aggression, the instinct for the jugular.
Instead they plunged a kind of stiletto into each throat, severing the jugular vein.

British Dictionary definitions for jugular

jugular

/ˈdʒʌɡjʊlə/

adjective

of, relating to, or situated near the throat or neck

of, having, or denoting pelvic fins situated in front of the pectoral fins: a jugular fish

noun

short for jugular vein

go for the jugular, to make a savage and destructive attack on an enemy's weakest point

Word Origin

C16: from Late Latin jugulāris, from Latin jugulum throat

Word Origin and History for jugular

adj.

1590s, "pertaining to the throat or neck" (especially in reference to the great veins of the neck), from Modern Latin jugularis, from Latin iugulum "collarbone, throat, neck," diminutive of iugum "yoke," related to iungere "to join," from PIE *yeug- "to join" (cf. Sanskrit yugam "yoke," yunjati "binds, harnesses," yogah "union;" Hittite yugan "yoke;" Greek zygon "yoke," zeugnyanai "to join, unite;" Old Church Slavonic igo, Old Welsh iou "yoke;" Lithuanian jungas "yoke," jungiu "fastened in a yoke;" Old English geoc "yoke;" probably also Latin iuxta "close by"). As a noun, 1610s, from the adjective.

jugular in Medicine

jugular jug·u·lar (jŭg'yə-lər)
adj.
Of, relating to, or located in the region of the neck or throat. n.
A jugular vein.

Slang definitions & phrases for jugular

jugular

adjective

Bent on destruction; ruthless; savage; cutthroat: inert and inept troop of Democrats unable to beat back an aroused and jugular band of Republicans
Vital; crucial; life-and-death: a jugular issue for the industry/ Barbara has a very strong respect for power and position. She will not ask the ultimate jugular question

[1960s+; based on the phrase go for the jugular]

Idioms and Phrases with jugular

jugular

see: go for , def. 4.