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.

From Project Gutenberg

I had a cutlass, a jockteleg (or smuggler's sheaf-knife), and a pair of brass-mounted pistols ready swung in my leathern belt.

From Project Gutenberg