Jack Word Meaning

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)), 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, jack sense 3, jack sense 10, jack sense 11), 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, jack sense 6, jack sense 8, jack sense 14)

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.

device for lifting heavy objects

a playing card bearing a representation of a soldier, page, or knave, normally ranking next below a queen.

court card ranking next below queen

a socket designed to receive a jack plug.

socket for 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.

plug used in a jack socket

a small white ball in bowls, at which the players aim.

ball aimed at in bowls

a game played by tossing and catching small round pebbles or star-shaped pieces of metal or plastic.

game played with small round pebbles or star-shaped pieces of metal or plastic

used to typify an ordinary man

ordinary man

• he had that world-weary look of the working Jack who'd seen everything

a small version of a national flag flown at the bow of a vessel in harbour to indicate its nationality.

small version of national flag

money.

money

a device for turning a spit.

device for turning spit

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.

part of mechanism in spinet or harpsichord

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.

type of marine fish

the male of various animals, especially a merlin.

male of various animals

used in names of animals that are smaller than similar kinds, e.g. jack snipe.

animal smaller than similar kinds

anything at all