Jester vs. Minstrel — What's the Difference?

A jester, court jester, or fool, was historically an entertainer during the medieval and Renaissance eras who was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets.

A minstrel was a medieval European entertainer. Originally describing any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool, the term later, from the sixteenth century, came to mean a specialist entertainer who sang songs and played musical instruments.

A professional joker or ‘fool’ at a medieval court, typically wearing a cap with bells on it and carrying a mock sceptre.

A medieval entertainer who traveled from place to place, especially to sing and recite poetry.

One given to jesting.

A lyric poet.

A fool or buffoon at medieval courts.

A musician.

One who jests, jokes or teases.

A performer in a minstrel show.

A person in colourful garb and fool's cap who amused a medieval and early modern royal or noble court.

(historical) Originally, an entertainer employed to juggle, play music, sing, tell stories, etc.; a buffoon, a fool, a jester; later, a medieval (especially travelling) entertainer who would recite and sing poetry, often to their own musical accompaniment.

Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Southeast Asian genus Symbrenthia.

(by extension)

A buffoon; a merry-andrew; a court fool.

Any lyric poet, musician, or singer.

A person addicted to jesting, or to indulgence in light and amusing talk.

One of a troupe of entertainers, often a white person who wore black makeup (blackface), to present a so-called minstrel show, being a variety show of banjo music, dance, and song (now sometimes regarded as racist).

A professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the middle ages

An amphetamine tablet, typically black, or black and white, in colour.

(transitive) To play (a tune on a musical instrument); to sing (a song).

(intransitive) To act as a minstrel; to entertain by playing a musical instrument, singing, etc.

In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a harp or other instrument; in modern times, a poet; a bard; a singer and harper; a musician.

A singer of folk songs

A performer in a minstrel show

Celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels