jackeroo

or jack·a·roo

[ jak-uh-roo ]

/ ˌdʒæk əˈru /

Australian

noun, plural jack·e·roos.

an inexperienced person working as an apprentice on a sheep ranch.

verb (used without object), jack·e·rooed, jack·e·roo·ing.

to work as an apprentice on a sheep ranch.

Nearby words

jackbooted, jackdaw, jacked, jackeen, jackelyn, jackeroo, jacket, jackey, jackfish, jackfruit, jackhammer

Origin of jackeroo

1875–80; jack¹ + (kang)aroo; cf. -eroo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for jackeroo

The jackeroo sighed as he replaced the cork after a very modest sip.
The Shadow of a Man|E. W. Hornung
Moya and the jackeroo were ambling leisurely behind, and nothing could have been more natural than Moya's questions.
The Shadow of a Man|E. W. Hornung
The jackeroo at the end of the verandah had awakened from his drunken sleep, but had not moved.
Over the Sliprails|Henry Lawson
"Turn sharp to the left, and follow the fence," replied the jackeroo.
The Shadow of a Man|E. W. Hornung

"Two thousand one hundred and seventy-two," replied the jackeroo promptly.
The Shadow of a Man|E. W. Hornung

British Dictionary definitions for jackeroo

jackeroo

jackaroo

/ (ˌdʒækəˈruː) /

noun plural -roos

Australian informal a young male management trainee on a sheep or cattle station

Word Origin for jackeroo

C19: from jack 1 + (kang) aroo

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