jackpot
Americannoun
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jackpots
plural
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the chief prize or the cumulative stakes in a game or contest, as in bingo, a quiz contest, or a slot machine.
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Poker. a pot that accumulates until a player opens the betting with a pair of predetermined denomination, usually jacks or better.
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an outstanding reward or success.
idioms
noun
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any large prize, kitty, or accumulated stake that may be won in gambling, such as a pool in poker that accumulates until the betting is opened with a pair of jacks or higher
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to win a jackpot
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informal to achieve great success, esp through luck
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of jackpot
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; of uncertain origin
Explanation
A jackpot is a pile of money won during a game such as a poker. It's also any example of good fortune. Originally, a jackpot was a pile of money in poker that accumulated until someone produced a pair of jacks (or something better). These days, a jackpot is any kind of prize, winnings, or success. If you get a high-paying job, you hit the jackpot. If you married a wonderful person, you hit the jackpot. Sometimes a jackpot is specific to a game, like the money won from a hand of 21, but any good fortune can be considered a jackpot.
Vocabulary lists containing jackpot
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Charles said he "hit the jackpot" when he met her, adding: "There was no parting us."
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
This jackpot portrayal of working motherhood never ceases to be a thrill for me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Guerra said it was like "hitting the jackpot", uncovering the inner workings of a vast, underground system.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
But not winning the jackpot doesn’t mean there’s no cash to be won.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
I think of the rare jackpot nights when I ended the day at a sleepover or sharing the room with a sibling or a friend I genuinely liked.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
And backers of AI companies have billions, if not trillions, of reasons to hope their gambles aren’t just once-in-a-generation jackpots, but once in a human existence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026
According to game officials, this marks the second time there have been back-to-back Powerball jackpots exceeding $1 billion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
In fact, in the case of the 50 largest lottery jackpots claimed to date, the prize has been split by two or more winners 10 times.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 22, 2025
This is also the second time the game has produced back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
More people have won lottery jackpots than flown in space.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
