/ˈd͡ʒɑfə/, /ˈd͡ʒæfə/
OriginFrom Jaffa, an ancient port city in what is now Israel from which the oranges were exported. The sense "impotent male" is a reference to being "seedless"; see seed.
The cricketing sense, of a 'sweet ball' (from the bowler's perspective), is a metaphor further reinforced in Australian English where Jaffa is also a trademark for a popular lolly that is red and round.
- A port in western Israel.
- informalA Jaffa orange.
“They were together, at the flicks on Saturday night, eating Jaffas and smiling at each other occasionally in the dark.”
- A type of sweet orange, normally seedless.
- slangAn impotent or infertile male.
- A ball that is very difficult for the batsman to hit because it moves erratically either through the air or off the pitch
FormsJoppa(alternative) · Yafo(alternative) · Jaffas(plural) · jaffas(plural)