English▸ noun
1 a device for lifting heavy objects, especially one for raising the axle of a motor vehicle off the ground so that a wheel can be changed or the underside inspected.
2 a playing card bearing a representation of a soldier, page, or knave, normally ranking next below a queen.
4 (also jack plug) a plug used in a jack socket, consisting of a shaft used to make a connection that transmits a signal, typically used in sound equipment.
6 (jacks) a game played by tossing and catching small round pebbles or star-shaped pieces of metal or plastic.
7 informal (Jack) used to typify an ordinary man:
he had that world-weary look of the working Jack who'd seen everything.
▪ informal mainly US English used as a form of address to a man whose name is not known.
▪ North American English informal a lumberjack.
▪ a detective or police officer.
▪ archaic a steeplejack.
▪ the figure of a man striking the bell on a clock.
8 a small version of a national flag flown at the bow of a vessel in harbour to indicate its nationality.
11 a part of the mechanism in a spinet or harpsichord that connects a key to its corresponding string and causes the string to be plucked when the key is pressed down.
12 a marine fish that is typically laterally compressed with a row of large spiky scales along each side, important in many places as food or game fish. Also called pompano,, scad
Family Carangidae (the jack family): many genera and numerous species. The jack family also includes the horse mackerel, pilotfish, kingfishes, and trevallies.
– PHRASAL VERBS
jack around (jack someone around, jack around someone) North American English informal cause someone inconvenience or problems, especially by acting unfairly or indecisively:
stop jacking me around and answer my questions.
jack in
1 (jack something in, jack in something) British English informal give up or stop doing something, especially a job:
he jacked in his office job.
2 (jack something in, jack in something) informal connect up a computer or electronic device:
I jacked my laptop in and connected to the default IP.
jack into (jack into something, be jacked into something) informal connect to or log in to a computer system:
now, everybody is jacked into the internet.
jack up
1 (jack something up, jack up something) raise something, especially a vehicle, with a jack:
jack the car up until the wheel can spin freely.
▪ informal increase something by a considerable amount:
France jacked up its key bank interest rate.
2 informal inject oneself with an illegal drug:
we stepped over people jacking up in the street outside.
– ORIGIN late Middle English: from Jack, pet form of the given name John. The term was used originally to denote an ordinary man (jack (sense 7 of the noun)1), also a youth (mid 16th century), hence the ‘knave’ in cards and ‘male animal’. The word also denoted various devices saving human labour, as though one had a helper (jack (sense 1 of the noun)1, jack (sense 3 of the noun)1, jack (sense 10 of the noun)1, jack (sense 11 of the noun)1, and in compounds such as jackhammer and jackknife); the general sense ‘labourer’ arose in the early 18th century and survives in cheapjack, lumberjack, steeplejack, etc. Since the mid 16th century a notion of ‘smallness’ has arisen, hence jack (sense 5 of the noun)1, jack (sense 6 of the noun)1, jack (sense 8 of the noun)1, jack (sense 14 of the noun)1.