jack

¹jack

noun \ˈjak\

Definition of JACK

1

a : man —usually used as an intensive in such phrases as every man jack

b often capitalized : sailor

c (1) : servant, laborer (2) : lumberjack

2

: any of various usually mechanical devices: as

a : a device for turning a spit

b : a usually portable mechanism or device for exerting pressure or lifting a heavy body a short distance

3

: something that supports or holds in position: as

a : an iron bar at a topgallant masthead to support a royal mast and spread the royal shrouds

b : a wooden brace fastened behind a scenic unit in a stage set to prop it up

4

a : any of several fishes; especially : any of various carangids

b : a male donkey

c : jackrabbit

d : any of several birds (as a jackdaw)

5

a : a small white target ball in lawn bowling

b : a small national flag flown by a ship

c (1) plural but sing in constr : a game played with a set of small objects that are tossed, caught, and moved in various figures (2) : a small 6-pointed metal object used in the game of jacks

6

a : a playing card carrying the figure of a soldier or servant and ranking usually below the queen

b : jackpot 1a(2)

7

slang : money

8

: a female fitting in an electric circuit used with a plug to make a connection with another circuit

9

a : applejack

b : brandy

10

: jackknife 2

11

: monterey jack

Examples of JACK

1. <I'd buy that watch, but I don't have the jack right now.>
2. <a Portuguese ship flying the national jack>

Origin of JACK

Middle English Jacke, familiar term of address to a social inferior, nickname for Johan John

First Known Use: 1548

Related to JACK

Synonyms

bread [slang], bucks, cabbage [slang], cash, change, chips, coin, currency, dough, gold, green, money [slang], kale [slang], legal tender, lolly [British], long green [slang], loot, lucre, moola (or moolah) [slang], needful, pelf, scratch [slang], shekels (also sheqels or shekelim or shekalim or sheqalim), tender, wampum

Related Words

coinage, specie; dead presidents [slang], folding money, paper money, scrip; banknote, cashier's check, check, draft, money order, note, promissory note; bill, dollar, greenback; bankroll, capital, finances, funds, roll [slang], wad, wallet; chump change, dibs [slang], dime, mite, peanuts, pittance, shoestring; big bucks, bomb [British], boodle, bundle, earth, fortune, king's ransom, megabucks, mint, packet [chiefly British], pile, pot; abundance, means, opulence, riches, treasure, wealth; resources, wherewithal; mad money, petty cash, pin money, pocket money, spending money

Rhymes with JACK

back, black, Braque, clack, claque, crack, flack, flak, hack, knack, lac, lack, lakh, mac, Mac, pack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, sacque, shack, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, Wac, wack, whack, wrack, yak

²jack

verb

Definition of JACK

intransitive verb

: to hunt or fish at night with a jacklight

transitive verb

1

: to hunt or fish for at night with a jacklight

2

a : to move or lift by or as if by a jack

b : to raise the level of —usually used with up <jack up the price>

c : to take to task

— jack·er noun

First Known Use of JACK

circa 1841