jackal

[ jak-uhl, -awl ]
See synonyms for jackal on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any of several nocturnal wild dogs of the genus Canis, especially C. aureus, of Asia and Africa, that scavenge or hunt in packs.

  2. a person who performs dishonest or base deeds as the follower or accomplice of another.

  1. a person who performs menial or degrading tasks for another.

Origin of jackal

1
1595–1605; < alteration, by association with Jack, of Persian shag(h)āl; cognate with Sanskrit śṛgāla

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

How to use jackal in a sentence

  • Then the stars came out with a rush, and the jackals began to bay along the hillside in the gloom of the bush.

    A Frontier Mystery | Bertram Mitford

British Dictionary definitions for jackal

jackal

/ (ˈdʒækɔːl) /


noun
  1. any of several African or S Asian canine mammals of the genus Canis, closely related to the dog, having long legs and pointed ears and muzzle: predators and carrion-eaters

  2. a person who does menial tasks for another

  1. a villain, esp a swindler

Origin of jackal

1
C17: from Turkish chakāl, from Persian shagāl, from Sanskrit srgāla

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