jumping jack


noun
  1. a toy consisting of a jointed figure that is made to jump, move, or dance by pulling a string or stick attached to it.

  2. Also called side-straddle hop [sahyd-strad-l] /ˈsaɪdˈstræd l/ . a conditioning exercise performed by starting from a standing position with legs together and arms resting at the sides and then jumping to a position with the legs spread apart and out to the sides while simultaneously extending the arms out from the sides to an overhead position with the hands touching and finishing by reversing these movements to return to the starting position.

Origin of jumping jack

1
An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Words Nearby jumping jack

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jumping jack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jumping jack

jumping jack

noun
  1. a firework having a long narrow tube filled with gunpowder, folded like an accordion so that when lit it burns with small explosions causing it to jump along the ground

  2. a toy figure of a man with jointed limbs that can be moved by pulling attached strings

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012