Refers to a person who jokes around, acts silly, or plays pranks; often lighthearted, but can carry a negative nuance of being a fool or idiot depending on context.
He's the class joker, always making everyone laugh.
That fool has started saying weird things again.
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; the kana portion おどけ is standard for this word.
Full kanji spelling using 戯ける; rare and may be unfamiliar to many readers.
Old character form (kyūjitai) of 戯け者; essentially obsolete in modern writing.
From the verb 戯ける (おどける, 'to jest, fool around') + 者 (もの, 'person'). The verb itself is of uncertain origin, possibly related to 戯れ (たわむれ) or other playful-sound words.