jumping jack

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noun

a toy consisting of a jointed figure that is made to jump, move, or dance by pulling a string or stick attached to it.

Also called side-straddle hop

[sahyd-strad-l] /ˈsaɪdˈstræd l/ . a conditioning exercise performed by starting from a standing position with legs together and arms resting at the sides and then jumping to a position with the legs spread apart and out to the sides while simultaneously extending the arms out from the sides to an overhead position with the hands touching and finishing by reversing these movements to return to the starting position.

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Origin of jumping jack

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Words nearby jumping jack

jumping bean, jumping bristletail, jumping gene, jumping genes, jumping hare, jumping jack, jumping mouse, jumping-off place, jumping-off place or point, jumping plant louse, jumping spider

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jumping jack in a sentence

Attempting this record isn’t like doing the most jumping jacks or swimming the English Channel, categories in which, if you fail, you can regroup and try again.
She’s been growing her hair for 17 years. On Thursday, she’ll cut it off for charity.|John Kelly|August 25, 2021|Washington Post
Meanwhile, the earbuds’ long narrow stem extended just past my earlobe for a balanced, snug fit that assured they stayed in place even as I jogged, rollerbladed, and did jumping jacks.
Skullcandy Indy ANC earbuds review: A lot of features for little money|Tony Ware|August 18, 2021|Popular-Science
They might be doing jumping jacks, or they might be watching YouTube.
Kids are shooting hoops with rolled up socks, but pandemic physical education is not canceled|Kelly Field|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Shoveling snow around your campsite or doing some good ol’ pushups or jumping jacks will do the trick.
How to stay warm while sleeping in the frigid outdoors|Alisha McDarris|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science

Before you start alternating burpees and jumping jacks with recovery intervals, however, let’s look more closely at that claim.
Some trainers tout HIIT as the best way to burn belly fat. Here’s what science says.|Pam Moore|December 15, 2020|Washington Post
Starting in the 1970s, then MPAA president Jack Valenti began what was to become a decades-long fight against the quota system.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Heinold's First and Last Chance, Oakland (Jack London, Taft) You can thank Johnny Heinold for your favorite Jack London book.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But not even the threat of death can suppress the urge to live vicariously through Jack Dawson and James Bond.
North Korea’s Secret Movie Bootleggers: How Western Films Make It Into the Hermit Kingdom|Lizzie Crocker|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As I size up the scene, Jack White now wears the crown … and he wears it well.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nets guard Jarrett Jack claimed credit for the shirts LeBron James and several other players were seen in before the game.
‘I Can’t Breathe’ Makes It Onto the Court for Will and Kate to See|Jacob Siegel|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Strathland would bundle me out in ten minutes if anything happened to Jack.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
She is immensely rich, one of the ablest political women in London, and Jack is desperately in love with her.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
How on earth can Jack find time to think about women with the immense amount of work he gets through?
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
No, Jack is not much to look at, except when he wakes up—I have seen him quite transfigured on the platform.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Little Jack Charmington, her husband, had a snug four hundred a year of his own, which quite sufficed for his modest needs.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for jumping jack

jumping jack

noun

a firework having a long narrow tube filled with gunpowder, folded like an accordion so that when lit it burns with small explosions causing it to jump along the ground

a toy figure of a man with jointed limbs that can be moved by pulling attached strings

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