Jack Ketch
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of Jack Ketch
First recorded in 1665–75; named after John Ketch (1663?–86), English executioner noted for his brutality
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.
“Hul-lo,” said Jack Ketch, with a twitch of his mustache, and he smiled at Scarlett through the bars like a rabbit with a secret.
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
Jack Ketch darted forward, his polished black shoes almost soundless on the leaf-mold.
From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman
Jack Ketch himself hesitates to perform his duty, and would be glad to lose his fee by a reprieve.
From History of English Humour, Vol. 2 by L'Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingan
It sounds like it," replied Turpin; "but I advise you not to become too intimate with Jack Ketch.
From Rookwood by Ainsworth, William Harrison
The son of a great author cannot be handled too tenderly by the critical Jack Ketch.
From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Cody, Sherwin
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.
