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jack Meaning & Definition

/ˈd͡ʒæk/

What Does Jack Mean?

Jack is a noun that means A coarse medieval coat of defence, especially one made of leather. As a verb, it means To physically raise using a jack. As an adjective, it means Tired, disillusioned; fed up (with).

Jack: Key Facts

Part of speechnoun, verb, adjective
Pronunciation//ˈd͡ʒæk//
Syllables1
Synonymsknave, jackass and jackfruit
Antonymsplug
Pluraljacks
Comparative / superlativemore jack, most jack
Verb formsjacks, jacking, jacked

Jack Definition (Noun)

  1. A coarse medieval coat of defence, especially one made of leather.

    jack of plate

Noun

  1. A man. A name applied to a hypothetical or typical man. A man, a fellow; a typical man; men in general. A sailor.
  2. A name applied to a hypothetical or typical man.
  3. A man, a fellow; a typical man; men in general.
  4. A sailor.
  5. A policeman or detective; a military policeman.
  6. A manual laborer.
  7. A lumberjack.
  8. A sepoy.
  9. A mechanical device or utensil used for lifting. A device for turning a spit; a smokejack or roasting jack. Each of a series of blocks in a harpsichord or the earlier virginal, communicating the action of the key to the quill; sometime also, a hopper in a modern piano. a tool used in manual production of glass objects (like bottles or wine glasses). A support for wood being sawn; a sawhorse or sawbuck. A device used to hold a boot by the heel, to assist in removing the boot. A mechanical device used to raise and (temporarily) support a heavy object, now especially to lift one side of a motor vehicle when (e.g.) changing a tyre.

    She used a jack to lift her car and changed the tire.

  10. A device for turning a spit; a smokejack or roasting jack.
  11. Each of a series of blocks in a harpsichord or the earlier virginal, communicating the action of the key to the quill; sometime also, a hopper in a modern piano.
  12. a tool used in manual production of glass objects (like bottles or wine glasses).
  13. A support for wood being sawn; a sawhorse or sawbuck.
  14. A device used to hold a boot by the heel, to assist in removing the boot.
  15. A mechanical device used to raise and (temporarily) support a heavy object, now especially to lift one side of a motor vehicle when (e.g.) changing a tyre.

    She used a jack to lift her car and changed the tire.

  16. Any of various levers for raising or lowering the sinkers which push the loops down on the needles in a knitting machine or stocking frame.
  17. A wedge for separating rocks rent by blasting.
  18. A grating device used to separate and guide the threads in a warping machine; a heck-box.
  19. A machine for twisting the sliver as it leaves a carding machine, in the preparation of yarn.
  20. A switch for a jack plug, a jackknife switch; a socket used to connect a device to a circuit, network etc.

    telephone jack

  21. A non-tool object or thing. A pitcher or other vessel for holding liquid, especially alcoholic drink; a black-jack. The lowest court card in a deck of standard playing cards, ranking between the 10 and queen, with an image of a knave or pageboy on it.

    You haven't done jack. Get up and get this room cleaned up right now!

  22. A pitcher or other vessel for holding liquid, especially alcoholic drink; a black-jack.
  23. The lowest court card in a deck of standard playing cards, ranking between the 10 and queen, with an image of a knave or pageboy on it.
  24. A counter used to represent money in a gambling establishment.
  25. A small, typically white, ball used as the target ball in bowls; a jack-ball.
  26. A small ship's flag used as a signal or identifying device; a small flag flown at the bow of the vessel.
  27. A measure of liquid corresponding to a quarter of a pint.
  28. A fake coin designed to look like a sovereign.
  29. A jackcrosstree.
  30. A small, six-pointed playing piece used in the game of jacks.
  31. A torch or other light used in hunting to attract or dazzle game at night.
  32. Money, cash.
  33. A strong alcoholic liquor, especially home-distilled or illicit.
  34. Nothing, not anything, jack shit.

    You haven't done jack. Get up and get this room cleaned up right now!

  35. The eleventh batsman to come to the crease in an innings.
  36. A smooth often ovoid large gravel or small cobble in a natural water course.
  37. A plant or animal. A pike, especially when young. A male ass, especially when kept for breeding.
  38. A pike, especially when young.
  39. A male ass, especially when kept for breeding.
  40. Any of the marine fish in the family Carangidae.
  41. A jackrabbit.
  42. A bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), a large California rockfish.
  43. white mango (Mangifera caesia). (See #Etymology 4.)
  44. A Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema), often capitalized Jack.
  45. Spadix of a plant (also capitalized Jack).
  46. Any member of species of the genus Emex, also considered synonymous to Rumex, if not then containing two species lesser jack and little jack for Emex spinosa syn. Rumex spinosus, Australian English three-corner jack and prickly jack for Emex australis syn. Rumex hypogaeus.

Jack as a Verb

  1. To physically raise using a jack.

    He jacked the car so that he could replace the brake pads.

  2. To raise or increase.

    If you want to jack your stats you just write off failures as invalid results.

  3. To increase the potency of an alcoholic beverage similarly to distillation by chilling it to below the freezing point of water, removing the water ice crystals that form, and leaving the still-liquid alcoholic portion.
  4. To steal (something), typically an automobile; to rob (someone).

    Someone jacked my car last night!

  5. To dance by moving the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion.
  6. To jack off, to masturbate.
  7. To fight.
  8. To jerk or move by jerking; to remove or move (something).

Jack as an Adjective

  1. Tired, disillusioned; fed up (with).

Noun

  1. A jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, syn. Artocarpus integrifolia).

Noun

  1. White mango (Mangifera caesia) of fruit-bearing plants.

Noun

  1. A home run.

Verb

  1. To hit (the ball) hard; especially, to hit (the ball) out of the field, producing a home run.

Noun

  1. A coarse mediaeval coat of defence, especially one made of leather.

Noun

  1. A man.
  2. A device or utensil.
  3. A non-tool object or thing.
  4. A plant or animal.

Verb

  1. To raise using a jack.

    He jacked the car up so that he could replace the brake pads.

  2. To produce by freeze distillation; to distil (an alcoholic beverage) by freezing it and removing the ice (which is water), leaving the alcohol (which remains liquid).
  3. To steal something, typically an automobile. Shortened form of carjacking.

    Someone jacked my car last night!

Noun

  1. The edible fruit of the Asian tree (Artocarpus heterophyllus); also the tree itself.

Synonyms of Jack

Jack synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Jack

Jack in a Sentence

jack of plate

jack of mail

padded jack

She used a jack to lift her car and changed the tire.

telephone jack

You haven't done jack. Get up and get this room cleaned up right now!

He jacked the car so that he could replace the brake pads.

If you want to jack your stats you just write off failures as invalid results.

Someone jacked my car last night!

He jacked the car up so that he could replace the brake pads.

Word Forms & Grammar

jack (plural jacks)

jack (third-person singular simple present jacks, present participle jacking, simple past and past participle jacked)

jack (comparative more jack, superlative most jack)

Words That Rhyme With Jack

Origin of Jack

Origin 1: Inherited from Middle English jakke, from Anglo-Norman jacke, Middle French jaque, jacque, from jacques (“peasant”), from the proper name Jacques. Compare jacquerie.

Origin 2: Transferred use of the personal name Jack.

Origin 3: (cricket: eleventh batsman): An allusion to the jack in playing cards, which follows the 10.

Origin 4: From Portuguese jaca (“jackfruit”), from Malayalam ചക്ക (cakka).

Pronouncing Jack

Jack is pronounced //ˈd͡ʒæk// and has 1 syllable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Jack

Is jack a noun or a verb?

Jack is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb and an adjective.

What is another word for jack?

Words with a similar meaning to jack include knave, jackass and jackfruit. See the full list of jack synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of jack?

The opposite of jack is plug.

What is the plural of jack?

The plural of jack is jacks.

What is the past tense of jack?

The past tense of jack is jacked. The present participle is jacking.

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