jockteleg

Or jok·ta·leg

[jok-tuh-leg]

noun

British Dialect.

1. a large folding knife or pocketknife; jackknife.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jockteleg¹

First recorded in 1665–75; originally Scots; first attested as jackteleg, perhaps with Jack, Jock and leg, alluding to knife handles carved in the form of a leg

Example Sentences

The hunchback, nothing loath, produced an evil-looking jockteleg, and hastened to his master's assistance.

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JOCKTELEG, s. a clasp knife; a folding knife.

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