jack

jack¹ [dʒæk] n

[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: From the man's name Jack]

1.) a piece of equipment used to lift a heavy weight off the ground, such as a car, and support it while it is in the air

▪ a hydraulic jack

2.) a card used in card games that has a man's picture on it and is worth less than a queen and more than a ten

jack of hearts/clubs etc

▪ a pair of jacks

3.) an electronic connection for a telephone or other electric machine

▪ a phone jack

4.) a) jacks [plural]

a children's game in which the players try to pick up small objects called jacks while ↑bouncing and catching a ball

b) a small metal or plastic object that has six points, used in this game

5.) a small white ball at which players aim larger balls in the game of ↑bowls

6.) jack (shit)

AmE spoken not polite a rude expression meaning anything at all

▪ He doesn't know jack shit about cars.

→↑jumping jack, ↑Union Jack

jack ²

jack² v

jack around [jack sb around] phr v

AmE spoken to waste someone's time by deliberately making things difficult for them

▪ Stop jacking me around and make up your mind!

jack in [jack sth<=>in] phr v

BrE informal to stop doing something

▪ I'd love to jack in my job and go and live in the Bahamas.

jack off phr v

AmE informal not polite to ↑masturbate

jack up [jack sth<=>up] phr v

1.) to lift something heavy off the ground using a jack

▪ Jack the car up higher - I can't get the tire off.

2.) informal to increase prices, sales etc by a large amount

▪ They're just interested in jacking up their profit margins.