jawbone

Meanings

1. The bone of the lower jaw; the mandible.
2. Any of the bones in the lower or upper jaw.
3. A shaken musical instrument (an idiophone) made from the jawbone of an animal and shaken such that the teeth vibrate in their sockets to produce sound.
4. Credit.

1. To talk persistently in an attempt to persuade somebody to cooperate.
2. (especially of regulatory agencies) To try to persuade (someone) through implied threats of punitive action, such as tighter regulatory control.

Etymology

From Middle English jawe bone, a partial calque of earlier Middle English chawlbone, chawylbon, chavylbone, chawle boon, chavyl bon (“jaw bone”, literally “chavel bone”), see chavel-bone; equivalent to jaw + bone.