Jack

English

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Jack

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English Jackin, Jankin, a popular pet form of John; rarely also an anglicized form of French Jacques (equivalent of Jacob and James). It can be also used as nickname for Jacob. Though the name was originally a pet form, it has become more of an independent name. Equivalent to John + -kin, Jake or Jacques.

See also Middle French Hennequin, Jannequin and Middle Dutch Janneken.

Pronunciation

• enPR: jăk, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒæk/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æk

Proper noun

Jack (countable and uncountable, plural Jacks)

1. A unisex given name from Hebrew, also used as a pet form of John or more rarely, Jacob.
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Since every Jack became a gentleman
     there's many a gentle person made a Jack.

   • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry, Sirnamed Hot-spvrre”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, act II, scene iv, page 58, column 1:

     Heere comes leane Iacke, heere comes bare-bone. How now my ſweet Creature of Bombaſt, how long is't agoe, Iacke, ſince thou ſaw'ſt thine owne Knee?

   • 1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest , [Act I]:

     JACK. Well, really, Gwendolen, I must say that I think that there are lots of other much nicer names. I think Jack, for instance, a charming name.
     GWENDOLEN. Jack?...No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. It does not thrill. It produces absolutely no vibrations...I have known several Jacks, and they all, without exception, were more than usually plain. Besides, Jack is a notorious domesticity for John!

2. A surname.
3. (colloquial) Jack Daniel's, a brand of Tennessee whiskey.
   • 2009, "Ke$ha" (Kesha Rose Sebert), Tik Tok (song)

     Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack.

   • 2017, Halsey, Ricky Reed, Justin Tranter, Rogét Chahayed, “Bad at Love”, in Hopeless Fountain Kingdom‎, performed by Halsey:

     Got a boy back home in Michigan / And it tastes like Jack when I'm kissing him / So I told him that I never really liked his friends / Now he's gone and he's calling me a bitch again

4. An unincorporated community in Coffee County, Alabama, United States.
5. An unincorporated community in Dent County, Missouri, United States.

Derived terms

• diminutives: Jacky, Jackie
• surnames: Jackson

Descendants

• → Danish: Jack
• → Swedish: Jack

Translations

Noun

Jack (plural Jacks)

1. (informal) A placeholder or conventional name for any man, particularly a younger, lower-class man.
2. (informal, archaic) Ellipsis of Jack Tar., a sailor.
   • 1899, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, section 1:

     When he went home on leave he rioted on a large scale—pompously. Jack ashore—with a difference—in externals only.

3. (informal, archaic) Ellipsis of Jack Rum., a soldier.
4. A jacqueminot rose.

Usage notes

Despite being a common noun, the word is still treated as a name and capitalized as such. The name is most often used with a descriptive "surname", showing the type of lad intended.

Synonyms

• John, Jacques, Jacob, James

Coordinate terms

• Joan, Jill, Jane

Derived terms

Danish

Etymology

From English Jack.

Proper noun

Jack

1. a male given name

Swedish

Etymology

From English Jack. First recorded as a Swedish name in 1883.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Jack c (genitive Jacks)

1. a male given name