jack-in-the-box

or jack-in-a-box

[ jak-in-th uh-boks ]
/ ˈdʒæk ɪn ðəˌbɒks /

noun, plural jack-in-the-box·es.

a toy consisting of a box from which an enclosed figure springs up when the lid is opened.

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DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of jack-in-the-box

First recorded in 1545–55

Words nearby jack-in-the-box

jack up, jack-a-dandy, jack-by-the-hedge, jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, jack-in-office, jack-in-the-box, jack-in-the-green, jack-in-the-pulpit, jack-o'-lantern, jack-of-all-trades, jack-tar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for jack-in-the-box

British Dictionary definitions for jack-in-the-box

jack-in-the-box

noun plural jack-in-the-boxes or jacks-in-the-box

a toy consisting of a figure on a compressed spring in a box, which springs out when the lid is opened
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