In D&D, djinn are described as powerful inhabitants of the Elemental Plane of Air, since many (although by no means all) of the magical powers associated with them in myth are linked with the air. In the game, the alternative Anglicised name for the beings, "genie", instead refers to a broader category of being, of which the djinn are merely one of the most common. While the wish-granting, oil lamp dwelling, sort of djinn are stated to exist in the universe they are, at best, extremely rare and not typical representatives of their kind.
1E
In 1E, djinn appear so far as one can tell, essentially indistinguishable from humans apart from being the same height as hill giants at ten-and-a-half feet (3.2 metres). They are powerful combatants, and difficult to injure. It seems unlikely that their skin is naturally as resilient as chain armour, so this either represents innate magical protection or that their aerial nature makes it difficult to land a blow on them. They move slowly when walking, suggesting a ponderous gait despite their long stride, so high agility is probably not the explanation, as one might otherwise suppose.
1E djinn are slightly more intelligent than the average human and have magical powers relating to controlling or transforming into the air, making food and goods appear from nowhere, and creating illusions. The society that's described for them seems surprisingly hierarchical, with multiple levels of aristocracy, despite the fact that they are said to have a chaotic (i.e. individualistic) mindset. The overall leader of the djinn is described as a "caliph", implying a universal religious leader with political power, although it's perhaps more likely that the term was picked simply because it sounds Middle Eastern rather than for any specific meaning.
The illustration in the 2E Monstrous Manual is unusual in that it confirms that djinn have legs, rather than showing one in the process of transforming from mist to solid form, which may also be how they are shaped while flying. (Pathfinder, incidentally, seems to indicate that this is just naturally how they look, but it doesn't seem to be the intent in the D&D text descriptions, despite its frequency in the accompanying pictures). The text implies that there are several caliphs, rather than just one, and their domains actually seem quite small. This, naturally, reinforces the idea that they're not "caliphs" in any literal sense unless they're all competitors for the same supreme position, which doesn't seem to fit their alignment.
Otherwise, while there is slightly more detail on the nature of djinn dwellings, and the first introduction of the wider term "genie", the djinn of 2E are essentially the same as the 1E version.
3E
In 3E, the djinn's appearance has not significantly changed. It's implied that they're typically dark-skinned, but the one in the picture isn't, so this may not be universal. They turn out to be less strong than one would think based on their size; they're still as large as a hill giant but are weaker than ogres, or even gorillas, if still impressive by human standards. This is hard to square with the muscular build shown in the illustration and they seem to be roughly as dense as one would expect if they were solid, so it's unclear why they have difficulty exerting physical force to the degree one would expect.
Despite their great weight, the 3E version of the djinn is almost supernaturally nimble although it still moves slowly when travelling along the ground, rather than flying. They are slightly more intelligent than before and seem to live in small communities of not much more than a dozen individuals. Caliphs rule over a number of these communities, although they're still nothing like the universal religious rulers that the title would imply.
Aside from changes to fit with the rules in the new edition, the magic of djinn does not change significantly. Like most beings in 3E, they no longer have a unique language, although, for all we know, Auran could be the indigenous djinn tongue and only later adopted by other air elementals.
5E
Having had a fairly consistent appearance up to this point, in 5E, djinn have dark blue skin instead of human tones. This might have been influenced by the look chosen for the genie in the Disney Aladdin film, although this predates the 2E Monstrous Manual so it was hardly an immediate influence if so. In relative terms, the djinni's strength has increased, now being equal to that of a hill giant. Its intelligence has also increased, putting them in the upper bracket of human ability, although not quite to genius level. For the first time, the djinni's ground speed is no different from that of a human, making them seem less lumbering than before.
While there is some new information on how djinn, and other genies, come into being, there is no longer any mention of how their culture is governed. Indeed, the impression is given that individual djinn are largely independent of one another, although that may depend on how large their palaces are intended to be. What is clear is that 5E genies have a society based around enslaving regular mortals. This seems odd for the "chaotic good" djinn. Although we are told that they treat their slaves well, this must indicate that their desire for freedom for themselves does not extend to a wider philosophical belief; their society remains a rigid, hierarchical one.
Djinn, as described in D&D, are air elementals. This implies that they can create a solid body from pure air, holding it together by a (probably subconscious) act of will. Many of their magical powers are simply a case of partially or wholly reverting to their natural aerial form, and, when they die the matter that makes up their body returns to its original state.At least according to 3E, the basic properties of corporeal elementals such as djinn are similar to those of demons and celestials. For instance, they do not need to eat, although djinn regularly do so, presumably purely for the sensation and flavour. Whether the food they eat is somehow converted into air and incorporated into their bodies or whether djinn palaces need a sewage system is not stated - not that one would particularly expect it to be.
Djinn, like other "outsiders", do need to breathe, so it's probably possible to drown them - isolating them from their natural element. Suffocating them with gags or whatever might be a bit harder, given their ability to transform into a whirlwind.
An oddity of the 3E djinn (though not those in earlier editions) is that they can't be harmed by acid. One can think of reasons why a body that's technically formed from air molecules might be resistant to acids, but the same would be true of fire and they aren't resistant to that. Nor does acid seem likely to be something they'd encounter very often in their home plane so it isn't even hugely useful.
In 5E, however, djinn are immune, not to acid, but to thunder and lightning. This makes rather more sense. "Thunder" in this context means sonic attacks, essentially shock waves of compressed air, and it's easy to see why that wouldn't affect a being that's basically composed of the stuff. Either it incorporates the air into its own form, or the wave passes through it with no more effect than a touch of mild discomfort, continuing on out the other side. Immunity to lightning is slightly harder to explain, although it's obviously going to be useful to them, living where they do. Electrical charge may be something that they can naturally neutralise or absorb, or their nervous system doesn't work the way ours does, and/or the mere fact that they aren't grounded to the earth makes a difference.
There's no indication of where djinn come from in the core books for most editions, but 5E states that they are, in effect, spontaneously created from the substance of the Elemental Plane of Air. In particular, they do not mate with one another and produce offspring. (One imagines that Pathfinder djinn, which are whirlwinds from the waist down, would find this even more problematic). This is interesting because we know that they can mate with humans, giving rise to air genasi in the process.
Why can they mate with mortals, but not with each other? One possibility is that one or the other of the djinn sexes is sterile and it's only the other one that sires genasi. For instance, it might be that female djinn can't carry a pregnancy for more than a few hours or days because their bodies are regularly recycling into air, making it impossible. (This assumes that "female" djinn exist, which is strongly implied, but not explicitly stated in the core books).
It's more likely though, that the reason is a magical one. In order to create a physical body other than its own, the djinn needs to mix its essence with one that's more tied to the material plane, providing that spark that something made of air alone cannot provide.
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