jack
/dʒæk/ (bre, ipa) · /dʒæk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjak/ (ame, mw)
jack — noun
- jacksingular
- jacksplural
1. a tool that pushes up a car or other heavy thing for a short distance so it can
a tool that pushes up a car or other heavy thing for a short distance so it can be repaired or worked on.
The mechanic slid a jack under the van before removing the flat tire.
put a jack under + vehicle
We keep a jack in the trunk for roadside emergencies.
The farmer used a hydraulic jack to lift the bent gate.
Without a stable jack, the car could slip during the repair.
文法句型
car jack
hydraulic jack
put a jack under + vehicle
用法筆記
Most often used for the tool that lifts a vehicle just high enough for a wheel change or a repair underneath.
2. a court card in a standard pack that shows a young male figure and ranks above t
a court card in a standard pack that shows a young male figure and ranks above the ten but below the queen.
Mila won the trick because her jack beat my ten.
play a jack
He kept the jack of hearts until the last round.
jack of + suit
In this game, each jack is worth ten points.
Theo traded a queen for a jack to finish the row.
- face card
a wider group that also includes queens and kings
文法句型
jack of + suit
play a jack
draw a jack
用法筆記
Often named by suit, as in jack of hearts or jack of spades.
3. the small ball that players try to finish nearest to in bowls, bocce, and simila
the small ball that players try to finish nearest to in bowls, bocce, and similar games.
Beatriz rolled too hard and sent her ball past the jack.
past the jack
The white jack stopped near the middle of the grass court.
Our team scored because two balls landed closer to the jack.
Before the next round, the coach placed the jack by the marker.
- target ball
a clear descriptive term for the same role
- marker ball
used in some explanations, though less fixed
文法句型
close to the jack
throw the jack
the jack stops + place
用法筆記
Used mainly in bowls-type games as the target that the larger balls are aimed at.
4. one of the pointed metal pieces that players snatch up while a ball is bouncing
one of the pointed metal pieces that players snatch up while a ball is bouncing in the game jacks.
Rosa spilled the jacks across the kitchen floor before the game started.
jacks across the floor
One jack rolled under the sofa, so we stopped playing.
The red ball bounced twice while Hana grabbed three jacks.
Grandpa kept the old tin of jacks in his desk drawer.
- game piece
a general description, not the usual specific name
文法句型
pick up a jack
metal jack
grab two jacks
用法筆記
This names the small metal piece itself, not the whole children's game.
5. a children's ball game in which a player bounces or tosses a ball, scoops up met
a children's ball game in which a player bounces or tosses a ball, scoops up metal pieces, and catches the ball again.
We played jacks on the porch while the adults made dinner.
play jacks
Aunt Rosa taught us jacks during a long power cut.
The children packed a ball and ten jacks for the picnic.
By age eight, Lena could play jacks with either hand.
- ball game
very general and does not name this specific game
文法句型
play jacks
a game of jacks
good at jacks
用法筆記
The plural form jacks is usual for the game name in English.
6. the part of a device that receives a plug or cable so another piece of equipment
the part of a device that receives a plug or cable so another piece of equipment can be connected.
Plug the guitar cable into the jack beside the volume knob.
plug into the jack
Dust in the headphone jack made the sound cut out.
headphone jack
The repair shop replaced the loose jack on my old speaker.
This cable needs a smaller jack than our school speaker uses.
文法句型
headphone jack
input jack
plug into the jack
用法筆記
Often used in names of sockets on audio equipment, such as headphone jack or input jack.
7. used in informal speech to mean none at all or nothing of value, especially afte
used in informal speech to mean none at all or nothing of value, especially after a negative idea.
Omar knew jack about sailing before the summer training camp.
know jack about + noun
We got jack from the airline after the late-night cancellation.
get jack from + company
That broken coupon is worth jack at the checkout desk.
After three videos, I still understood jack about the app.
文法句型
know jack about + noun
get jack from + person/company
worth jack
用法筆記
This is strongly informal and often appears after verbs like know or get, or after worth in negative-feeling statements.
8. a donkey that is male.
a donkey that is male.
The jack brayed loudly when the farmer opened the gate.
the jack brayed
A strong jack pulled the empty cart back to the shed.
The zoo kept the young jack away from the female donkeys.
Our guide pointed to a gray jack near the dry riverbed.
- male donkey
the plain descriptive equivalent
- jenny
a female donkey
文法句型
young jack
strong jack
gray jack
用法筆記
Used mainly in farming or animal-breeding contexts.
jack — verb
- jackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jacks3rd person singular
- jacking-ing form
- jackedpast simple
1. to use a jack to push a vehicle or other heavy thing upward.
to use a jack to push a vehicle or other heavy thing upward.
The crew jacked the truck high enough to change the tire.
jack + vehicle/object
We jacked the shed slightly and slid a new board underneath.
jack + object + slightly
The mechanic jacked the car at the marked lift point.
Please do not jack the trailer on soft ground.
- lower
move something back down
文法句型
jack + vehicle/object
jack + vehicle + up
jack + object + slightly
用法筆記
Usually takes a vehicle or another heavy object as its direct object and often appears in repair instructions.
2. to look for animals or fish in the dark and catch them by flashing a strong ligh
to look for animals or fish in the dark and catch them by flashing a strong light at them.
Rangers warned locals not to jack deer near the highway.
jack + animal
The men were fined for jacking fish from the bridge at midnight.
jacking fish
It is illegal to jack rabbits with bright lights here.
Some hunters jacked along this river before the police began night checks.
文法句型
jack + animal
jack + fish
jack along + river/road
用法筆記
Mostly found in older hunting or fishing language and often appears in legal warnings about night hunting.