1 VERB If you jab one thing into another, you push it there with a quick, sudden movement and with a lot of force. □ [V n prep] He saw her jab her thumb on a red button–a panic button. □ [be V -ed + into ] A needle was jabbed into the baby's arm. □ [V + at ] Stern jabbed at me with his glasses. [Also V n at n]
2 N‑COUNT A jab is a sudden, sharp punch. □ He was simply too powerful for his opponent, rocking him with a steady supply of left jabs.
3 N‑COUNT A jab is an injection of something into your blood to prevent illness. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …painful anti malaria jabs.
jab|ber /dʒæ bə r / (jabbers , jabbering , jabbered ) VERB If you say that someone is jabbering , you mean that they are talking very quickly and excitedly, and you cannot understand them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] The girl jabbered incomprehensibly. □ [V P ] After a minute or two I left them there jabbering away.
jack /dʒæ k/ (jacks , jacking , jacked )
1 N‑COUNT A jack is a device for lifting a heavy object off the ground, for example a car.
2 N‑COUNT A jack is a playing card whose value is between a ten and a queen. A jack is usually represented by a picture of a young man.
3 → see also jack-of-all-trades , Union Jack
▸ jack up PHRASAL VERB If you jack up a heavy object such as a car, you raise it off the ground using a jack. □ [V P n] They jacked up the car. □ [V n P ] All I had to do was jack the car up and put on the spare.
jack|al /dʒæ kɔːl/ (jackals ) N‑COUNT A jackal is a wild animal that looks like a dog, has long legs and pointed ears, and lives in Africa and Southern Asia.
jack|boot /dʒæ kbuːt/ (jackboots )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Jackboots are heavy boots that come up to the knee, such as the ones worn by some soldiers.
2 PHRASE If a country or group of people is under the jackboot , they are suffering because the government is cruel and undemocratic. [DISAPPROVAL ]
jack|daw /dʒæ kdɔː/ (jackdaws ) N‑COUNT A jackdaw is a large black and grey bird that is similar to a crow, and lives in Europe and Asia.
jack|et ◆◇◇ /dʒæ k I t/ (jackets )
1 N‑COUNT A jacket is a short coat with long sleeves. □ …a black leather jacket.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Potatoes baked in their jackets are baked with their skin on.
3 N‑COUNT The jacket of a book is the paper cover that protects the book. [mainly AM ]
4 N‑COUNT A record jacket is the cover in which a record is kept. [AM ] in BRIT, use sleeve 5 → see also bomber jacket , dinner jacket , flak jacket , hacking jacket , life jacket , sports jacket , straitjacket
ja ck|et po|ta |to (jacket potatoes ) N‑COUNT A jacket potato is a large potato that has been baked with its skin on. [BRIT ] in AM, use baked potato
ja ck-in-the-box (jack-in-the-boxes ) N‑COUNT A jack-in-the-box is a child's toy that consists of a box with a doll inside it that jumps out when the lid is opened.
ja ck-knife (jack-knifes , jack-knifing , jack-knifed ) also jackknife VERB If a truck that is in two parts jack-knifes , the back part swings around at a sharp angle to the front part in an uncontrolled way as the truck is moving. □ [V ] His vehicle jack-knifed, and crashed across all three lanes of the opposite carriageway.
ja ck-of-a ll-trades (jacks-of-all-trades ) also jack of all trades N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a jack-of-all-trades , you mean that they are able to do a variety of different jobs. You are also often suggesting that they are not very good at any of these jobs.
jack|pot /dʒæ kpɒt/ (jackpots )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A jackpot is the most valuable prize in a game or lottery, especially when the game involves increasing the value of the prize until someone wins it. □ A nurse won the £5 million jackpot.
2 PHRASE If you hit the jackpot , you have a great success, for example by winning a lot of money or having a piece of good luck. [INFORMAL ]
Jaco|bean /dʒæ kəbiː ən/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A Jacobean building, piece of furniture, or work of art was built or produced in Britain in the style of the period between 1603 and 1625.
Ja|cuz|zi /dʒəkuː zi/ (Jacuzzis ) N‑COUNT A Jacuzzi is a large circular bath which is fitted with a device that makes the water move around. [TRADEMARK ]
jade /dʒe I d/ N‑UNCOUNT Jade is a hard stone, usually green in colour, that is used for making jewellery and ornaments.
jad|ed /dʒe I d I d/ ADJ If you are jaded , you feel bored, tired, and not enthusiastic, for example because you have had too much of the same thing. □ We had both become jaded, disinterested, and disillusioned.
jag|ged /dʒæ g I d/ ADJ Something that is jagged has a rough, uneven shape or edge with lots of sharp points. □ …jagged black cliffs. □ A jagged scar runs through his lower lip.
jagu|ar /dʒæ gjuə r , [AM ] -gwɑːr/ (jaguars ) N‑COUNT A jaguar is a large animal of the cat family with dark spots on its back.
jail ◆◇◇ /dʒe I l/ (jails , jailing , jailed ) in BRIT, also use gaol 1 N‑VAR A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept. □ Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is jailed , they are put into jail. □ [be V -ed] He was jailed for twenty years.