jack

[ jak ]

/ dʒæk /

noun

any of various portable devices for raising or lifting heavy objects short heights, using various mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic methods.

Also called knave. Cards. a playing card bearing the picture of a soldier or servant.

Electricity. a connecting device in an electrical circuit designed for the insertion of a plug.

Jack, Informal. fellow; buddy; man (usually used in addressing a stranger): Hey, Jack, which way to Jersey?

Also called jackstone. Games.

one of a set of small metal objects having six prongs, used in the game of jacks.
one of any other set of objects, as pebbles, stones, etc., used in the game of jacks.
jacks, (used with a singular verb) a children's game in which small metal objects, stones, pebbles, or the like, are tossed, caught, and moved on the ground in a number of prescribed ways, usually while bouncing a rubber ball.

any of several carangid fishes, especially of the genus Caranx, as C. hippos(crevalle jack, or jack crevalle ), of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Slang. money: He won a lot of jack at the races.

Slang: Vulgar. jack shit.

Nautical.

a small flag flown at the jack staff of a ship, bearing a distinctive design usually symbolizing the nationality of the vessel.
Also called jack crosstree. either of a pair of crosstrees at the head of a topgallant mast, used to hold royal shrouds away from the mast.

Jack, a sailor.

a device for turning a spit.

a small wooden rod in the mechanism of a harpsichord, spinet, or virginal that rises when the key is depressed and causes the attached plectrum to strike the string.

Lawn Bowling. a small, usually white bowl or ball used as a mark for the bowlers to aim at.

Also called clock jack. Horology. a mechanical figure that strikes a clock bell.

a premigratory young male salmon.

Theater. brace jack.

Falconry. the male of a kestrel, hobby, or especially of a merlin.

verb (used with object)

to lift or move (something) with or as if with a jack (usually followed by up): to jack a car up to change a flat tire.

Informal. to increase, raise, or accelerate (prices, wages, speed, etc.) (usually followed by up).

Informal. to boost the morale of; encourage (usually followed by up).

Slang. to mess up, ruin, or injure (usually followed by up): The paint job was all jacked up.I jacked my shoulder when I fell.

to jacklight.

verb (used without object)

to jacklight.

adjective

Carpentry. having a height or length less than that of most of the others in a structure; cripple: jack rafter; jack truss.

Verb Phrases

jack off, Slang: Vulgar. to masturbate.

jack up, Slang. to give oneself an injection of a controlled substance: After 30 heroin-free days, he was let out for the afternoon and came straight to my door, begging to jack up.

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Idioms for jack

every man jack, everyone without exception: They presented a formidable opposition, every man jack of them.

Origin of jack

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English jakke, Jakke used in addressing any male, especially a social inferior, variant of Jakken, variant of Jankin, equivalent to Jan “John” + -kin diminutive suffix; extended in sense to anything male, and as a designation for a variety of inanimate objects; see origin at John, -kin

Words nearby jack

jaçana, jacaranda, jacaré, Jacareí, jacinth, jack, jack-a-dandy, jackal, jackanapes, “Jack and Jill”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”

Definition for jack (2 of 5)

jack²

[ jak ]

/ dʒæk /

verb (used with object) Slang.

to steal: Some neighborhood kids jacked her car and took it for a joyride.Hackers jacked my email account in a phishing scam.

to rob: He got jacked on his way home from the club.

Origin of jack

First recorded in 1930–35; shortening of hijack

Definition for jack (3 of 5)

jack³

[ jak ]

/ dʒæk /

noun

jackfruit.

Origin of jack

First recorded in 1605–15; from Portuguese jaca, from Malayalam cakka

Definition for jack (4 of 5)

jack⁴

[ jak ]

/ dʒæk /

noun

a defensive coat, usually of leather, worn in medieval times by foot soldiers and others.

a container for liquor, originally of waxed leather coated with tar.

Origin of jack

⁴

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English jakke, from Middle French jaque(s), “short, plain upper garment,” probably after jacques “peasant” (see Jacquerie)

Definition for jack (5 of 5)

Jack

[ jak ]

/ dʒæk /

noun

a male given name, form of Jacob or John.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for jack

Philip drove west to the shore of fingerlike Tomales Bay, where they lunched on abalone and a smorgasbord that included the local Jack cheese and even more Teleme.
To Find Hope in American Cooking, James Beard Looked to the West Coast|John Birdsall|October 2, 2020|Eater
To our Jack—I’m so sorry that the first few moments of your life were met with so many complications, that we couldn’t give you the home you needed to survive.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend publicly grieve the death of baby Jack|Ellen McGirt|October 1, 2020|Fortune
The details were laid out in a congressional drug pricing investigation published Wednesday, which concluded that prices were jacked up to hit revenue goals for shareholders and thus score bonuses for Alles and others.
‘Mighty whiteboard of truth’: The weapon Rep. Katie Porter used to school a pharma exec — and plenty others|Teo Armus|October 1, 2020|Washington Post
Ken Look, club sports athletic trainer at Stanford University, doesn’t recommend jumping jacks for general fitness warmups until you’ve been exercising regularly for about two weeks.
There’s a better way to warm up than stretching|John Kennedy|September 30, 2020|Popular Science

Meanwhile, Murray has jacked up 44 of these shots throughout the playoffs.
Jamal Murray Isn’t The New Steph Curry, But He Might Be Close|Michael Pina|September 22, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Starting in the 1970s, then MPAA president Jack Valenti began what was to become a decades-long fight against the quota system.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Heinold's First and Last Chance, Oakland (Jack London, Taft) You can thank Johnny Heinold for your favorite Jack London book.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But not even the threat of death can suppress the urge to live vicariously through Jack Dawson and James Bond.
North Korea’s Secret Movie Bootleggers: How Western Films Make It Into the Hermit Kingdom|Lizzie Crocker|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like a Jack in the Box just sprung from coiled captivity, he begins rambling excitedly.
Rob Marshall Defends ‘Into the Woods’|Kevin Fallon|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jack Conte of the band Pomplamoose breaks down what it costs to hit the road.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bill was anxious to get back to poor Jack, who he remembered was well-nigh starving.
From Powder Monkey to Admiral|W.H.G. Kingston
With intense relief we saw Jack hauled on board over the stern; but papa was still in the water.
A Yacht Voyage Round England|W.H.G. Kingston
Jack took off his clothes quickly, but though he was weary he could not go to sleep.
The Blue Fairy Book|Various
All of which information, useful in a way, no doubt, was accepted by Jack with a smile.
The Golf Course Mystery|Chester K. Steele
They had almost reached the middle of it when Jack looked down.
Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories|Various

British Dictionary definitions for jack (1 of 4)

jack¹

/ (dʒæk) /

noun

a man or fellow

a sailor

the male of certain animals, esp of the ass or donkey

a mechanical or hydraulic device for exerting a large force, esp to raise a heavy weight such as a motor vehicle

any of several mechanical devices that replace manpower, such as a contrivance for rotating meat on a spit

one of four playing cards in a pack, one for each suit, bearing the picture of a young prince; knave

bowls a small usually white bowl at which the players aim with their own bowls

electrical engineering a female socket with two or more terminals designed to receive a male plug (jack plug) that either makes or breaks the circuit or circuits

a flag, esp a small flag flown at the bow of a ship indicating the ship's nationalityCompare Union Jack

nautical either of a pair of crosstrees at the head of a topgallant mast used as standoffs for the royal shrouds

a part of the action of a harpsichord, consisting of a fork-shaped device on the end of a pivoted lever on which a plectrum is mounted

any of various tropical and subtropical carangid fishes, esp those of the genus Caranx, such as C. hippos (crevalle jack)

Also called: jackstone one of the pieces used in the game of jacks

short for applejack, bootjack, jackass, jackfish, jack rabbit, lumberjack

US a slang word for money

every man jack everyone without exception

the jack Australian slang venereal disease

adjective

jack of Australian slang tired or fed up with (something)

verb (tr)

to lift or push (an object) with a jack

electrical engineering to connect (an electronic device) with another by means of a jack and a jack plug

Also: jacklight US and Canadian to hunt (fish or game) by seeking them out or dazzling them with a flashlight

Word Origin for jack

C16 jakke, variant of Jankin, diminutive of John

British Dictionary definitions for jack (2 of 4)

jack²

jak

/ (dʒæk) /

noun

short for jackfruit

Word Origin for jack

C17: from Portuguese jaca; see jackfruit

British Dictionary definitions for jack (3 of 4)

jack³

/ (dʒæk) /

noun

a short sleeveless coat of armour of the Middle Ages, consisting usually of a canvas base with metal plates

archaic a drinking vessel, often of leather

Word Origin for jack

C14: from Old French jaque, of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for jack (4 of 4)

Jack

/ (dʒæk) /

noun

I'm all right, Jack British informal

a remark indicating smug and complacent selfishness
(as modifier)an ``I'm all right, Jack'' attitude

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

Idioms and Phrases with jack

jack

In addition to the idioms beginning with jack

jack off
jack up

also see:

before you can say Jack Robinson

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jack

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Idioms for jack

Origin of jack

Words nearby jack

Definition for jack (2 of 5)

verb (used with object) Slang.

Origin of jack

Definition for jack (3 of 5)

noun

Origin of jack

Definition for jack (4 of 5)

noun

Origin of jack

Definition for jack (5 of 5)

noun

Content related to jack

Words related to jack

Example sentences from the Web for jack

British Dictionary definitions for jack (1 of 4)

noun

adjective

verb (tr)

Word Origin for jack

British Dictionary definitions for jack (2 of 4)

jak

noun

Word Origin for jack

British Dictionary definitions for jack (3 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for jack

British Dictionary definitions for jack (4 of 4)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with jack