.context

The .live() method for binding event handlers uses this property to determine the root element to use for its event delegation needs.

The value of this property is typically equal to document, as this is the default context for jQuery objects if none is supplied. The context may differ if, for example, the object was created by searching within an <iframe> or XML document.

Note that the context property may only apply to the elements originally selected by jQuery(), as it is possible for the user to add elements to the collection via methods such as .add() and these may have a different context.

$( "ul" )
  .append( "<li>" + $( "ul" ).context + "</li>" )
  .append( "<li>" + $( "ul", document.body ).context.nodeName + "</li>" );