jackpot
Americannoun
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jackpots
plural
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the chief prize or the cumulative stakes in a game or contest, as in bingo, a quiz contest, or a slot machine.
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Poker. a pot that accumulates until a player opens the betting with a pair of predetermined denomination, usually jacks or better.
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an outstanding reward or success.
idioms
noun
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any large prize, kitty, or accumulated stake that may be won in gambling, such as a pool in poker that accumulates until the betting is opened with a pair of jacks or higher
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to win a jackpot
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informal to achieve great success, esp through luck
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of jackpot
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; of uncertain origin
Explanation
A jackpot is a pile of money won during a game such as a poker. It's also any example of good fortune. Originally, a jackpot was a pile of money in poker that accumulated until someone produced a pair of jacks (or something better). These days, a jackpot is any kind of prize, winnings, or success. If you get a high-paying job, you hit the jackpot. If you married a wonderful person, you hit the jackpot. Sometimes a jackpot is specific to a game, like the money won from a hand of 21, but any good fortune can be considered a jackpot.
Vocabulary lists containing jackpot
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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.
See Examples For:
This jackpot portrayal of working motherhood never ceases to be a thrill for me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Guerra said it was like "hitting the jackpot", uncovering the inner workings of a vast, underground system.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Three years on, will Liverpool hit the jackpot after bringing the 'grasshopper' to Anfield?
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
In smaller print beneath the estimated $1 billion jackpot is the cash payout of $433 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Nesting usually occurred between February and July, but fledglings had been observed in dens as late as October Systematically, Roy scrolled down the search items one by one until he finally hit the jackpot.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Nevadans have been known to drive for several miles and wait in long lines to buy Powerball tickets, particularly when jackpots creep into 10 figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
And backers of AI companies have billions, if not trillions, of reasons to hope their gambles aren’t just once-in-a-generation jackpots, but once in a human existence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026
The three largest jackpots were also from Powerball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
In fact, in the case of the 50 largest lottery jackpots claimed to date, the prize has been split by two or more winners 10 times.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 22, 2025
More people have won lottery jackpots than flown in space.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
