def

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The word def is hip hop (including graffiti) slang for 'great', 'ill', 'dope', 'fly': generally, a positive adjective used as a superlative. Taken from the root word 'definitive', if something is 'def' then it is classified as being very good. If something is very definitive in its representation of its genre or classification, it is 'def'. Def Jam records took their name from this term.

The term originated in New York in the early 1980s. It made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1993, whereby Rick Rubin (president of Def American Records) and members of the rap community subsequently had a mock funeral for the word, with a eulogy performed by Al Sharpton.^[1]

Other uses

• DEF, the acronym
• Mos Def: a rap artist.
• Def Jef: a rap artist
• So So Def Recordings: a rap record label.
• Def Jam Recordings: a rap record label.
• Def American: a rock and rap record label.
• Def Pen Radio: an online radio show.
• yakam Music Group: a rap & pop record label.
• Def Leppard: British hard rock band.
• Deftones: an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California
• DefEntertainment.com: a free rap, hip-hop, R&B and reggae web portal for emerging artists, labels, producers, representatives, management and industry support services.
• Def Mix Productions: Frankie Knuckles' primary business venture, which has given us a definitive style of dancefloor remix: the Def Classic Mix.
• Def: an alternate spelling of Daf, a MidEastern frame drum.
• Def: To describe something extremely shocking or unbelievably unfortunate. In its most extreme form, it is coupled with the word “Attractive”. “Def Attractive” can be translated as, ”This is really stressing me out!” or “I look hideous!” or “You are never going to believe this situation I got myself into!” and is typically dropped at the end of a sentence for emphasis. See Ratcliff Sisters.
• Def: Not widely known but long yester hip hop, the word Def was first used in the sixties as a "hip" form of sarcasm. Like "DEF ATTRACTIVE", truly meaning "definitely not attractive" or outrageously unattractive.
• Def: A release move in gymnastics, used by both men and women on both the high bar and the uneven bars. It is a flyaway Gienger half turn with a full twist added. Rated as a "super-E" skill, it is one of the most difficult in all of gymnastics.
• DEF: Used as a shorter term for 'definitely' for example ;speaker 1; are you going out on Friday? speaker 2; yeah, def !

References

1. ^ Solomon, Zaichkowsky and Polegato. Consumer Behaviour. Pearson, Toronto. 2005

See also

• DEF

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