bootjack

American

[boot-jak] / ˈbutˌdʒæk /

noun

a yokelike device for catching the heel of a boot, as a riding boot, to aid in removing it.
a notch or molding for the same purpose, cut into a piece of furniture.

bootjack British

/ ˈbuːtˌdʒæk /

noun

a device that grips the heel of a boot to enable the foot to be withdrawn easily

"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

Etymology

Origin of bootjack

First recorded in 1835–45; boot ¹ + jack ¹

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.

Later in the evening, when his mind had been set at rest about the bootjack, Laurie said suddenly to his wife, “Mrs. Laurence.”

From Literature

There are no people to throw stones or bootjacks at us, so we enjoy ourselves immensely.

From Project Gutenberg

We cared not for bottles or bootjacks, but made night terrible.

From Project Gutenberg

Forcing an unjust war on a weak tribe is a different thing from misdirecting a bootjack.

From Project Gutenberg

Phlit was standing, and solemnly holding a light in one hand and a bootjack in the other, waiting to attend the two gentlemen to their bedroom.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023