jacana 
genera and species, of both the old and the new world. 
These remarkable birds resemble plovers and rails, but are 
most nearly related to the former. In the typical American 
forms the tail is short, and the legs and toes are long, with 
enormous straight claws which enable the birds to run 
easily over the floating leaves of aquatic plants. There is 
a horny spur on the bend of the wing, and a naked frontal 
leaf and wattles at the base of the bill. Parra gymnostoma 
is the Mexican jacana, which is also found in the United 
States. The pheasant-tailed jacana of India, Hydropha- 
sianus chirurgus, has no frontal or rictal lobes, and has a 
very long tail like a pheasant. The Indo-African jacanas 
belong to the genus Metopodius; that of the East Indies is 
Hydralector cristatus. 
2. [cap.'] [NL.] A genus of jacanas, the same 
as Parra, lately made the name-giving genus of 
Jacanidte. Brisson, 1760. Also written lacana. 
Jacanidae (ja-kan'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Jacana 
+ -id(s.~\ A family of grallatorial aquatic birds 
of the order Umicolce, named from the genus 
Jacana; the jacanas. They are birds of the wanner 
parts of both hemispheres, represented by the genera Ja- 
cana (or Parra), Metopodius, Hydralector, and Hydrophasi- 
anus. In technical characters they are charadriomorphic, 
though they are ralliform in external aspect. The skull is 
schizognathous and schizorhinal, with basipterygoid pro- 
cesses and emarginate vomer, but no supra-orbital impres- 
sions. A metacarpal spur is present in all these birds, and 
in some of them the radius is peculiarly expanded. The 
family is more frequently called Parridoe. 
Jacaranda (jak-a-ran'da), n. [NL. (A. L. Jus- 
sieu, 1789) ; a Brazilian name.] A genus of the 
natural order Bignoniacece, type of the tribe Ja- 
caranaece. It contains about 30 species of tall trees of 
elegant habit, native in tropical America. It is separated 
from kindred genera by its panicled flowers with short 
campanulate calyx, its short pod with flat, transparently 
winged seeds, and its twice, or sometimes once, pinnate 
leaves. The Brazilian ./. mimostfolia, J. Braziliana, and 
J. obtusifolia furnish a beautiful and fragrant palisander- 
wood, bluish-red with blackish veins, sometimes, in com- 
mon with numerous other timbers, called rosewood. (See 
rosewood.) As a popular name jacaranda is not confined 
strictly to this genus, but applies to various trees having 
similar wood. Three fossil species are described, from the 
Lower Tertiary of Italy and Tyrol. 
Jacarandeae ( jak-a-ran'de-e), n. pi. [NL. (Ben- 
tham and Hooker, 1876), < Jacaranda + -cos.~] 
A tribe of Bignoniacece, embracing the genus 
Jacaranda and four others. The ovary is l-celled 
or becomes so, with parietal placentte and a 2-valved pod. 
They are mostly trees or shrubs, all native of tropical 
America except the genus Colea, which belongs to Mada- 
gascar. 
jacare (jak'a-re), n. [Pg. jacart, jacareo; of 
Braz. origin.] 1. A South American alligator; 
a cayman. Several species or varieties are described, 
such as the Orinoco or black jacare, Jacare nigra. Also 
written jackare, yackare. 
2. [cap.'] [NL.] A genus of South American 
alligators. J. E. Gray, 1862. 
jacatoot, n. [Appar. an error for "cacatoo: see 
cockatoo."] A cockatoo. 
A rarely colour'd jacatoo, or prodigious huge parrot. 
Evelyn, Diary, July 11, 1664. 
jaca-tree (jak'a-tre), n. [Also jak, jak-tree,jack- 
tree; < jaca, the native name, + E. tree.] Same 
as jack-tree. 
jacobus (jak'us), n. [NL.] 1. A small squir- 
rel-like monkey of South America, a kind of 
marmoset, H apale jacchus. 2. [c<y;.] A genus 
of marmosets: same as Hapale. Also lacchus, 
See Mididw. 
jacconet, n. See jaconet. 
jacent (ja'sent), a. [= Sp. yacente = Pg. ja- 
cente, < L. jacen(t-)s, ppr. ofjacere, lie, be pros- 
trate, < jacre, throw, cast: see jet 1 , jactation, 
jaculate, etc. Cf. adjacent, circumjacent, etc.] 
Lying at length : prostrate. [Rare.] 
Because so laid, they [brick or squared stones] are more 
apt, in swagging down, to pierce with their points than in 
the jacent posture, and so to crevice the wall. 
Sir H. Wotton, Reliquire, p. 20. 
jacinth, (ja'sinth), n. [Accommodated in term, 
to orig. hyacinth; formerly jaeint, iacint; < ME. 
jacint, jacynte, jacynct, < OF.jadnthe = Pr.ja- 
cint = Sp. jaeinto = Pg. jacintho = It. jacento, 
giacinto, <L. hyaeinthus, < Gr. vatuvdog, hyacinth: 
see hyacinth.'] Same as hyacinth. 
jacitara-palm (jas-i-tar'a-pam), n. [< S. Amer. 
jacitara + E. palm 2 ."] The plant Desmoncus 
macroacanthus. See Desmoncus. 
jack 1 (jak), n. [< ME. Jacke, Jake, Jak, as a 
personal name, and familiarly, like mod. Jack, 
dial. Jock, as a general appellative ; < OF. Jaque, 
Jaques (AF. also Jake, Jaikes), later Jacques, 
mod. F. Jacques, a very common personal name, 
James, Jacob, = Sp. Jago (formerly written 
logo), also Diego = Pg. Diogo, these being re- 
duced forms of the name, which appears also, 
in semblance nearer the LL., as E. Jacob = F. 
Jacobe = Sp. Jacobo = It. Giacobo, Giacobbe, Ja- 
copo, and, with altered term. (6 to TO), It. Gia- 
como, Jachimo = Sp. contr. Jaime = Pg. Jayme 
= OF. Jakemes, contr. Jaime, Jams, James, > 
3208 
rare ME. James, Jamys, early mod. E. Jeames 
(> dim. Jem, Jim), now James; AS. lacob = D. 
G. Dan. Icel.. etc., Jakob; < LL. Jacobus, < 
Gr. 'Idraj/tof, < Heb. Ta'aqob, Jacob, lit. ' one 
who takes by the heel,' a supplanter, < 'dqab, 
take by the heel, supplant (see Gen. xxv. 26, 
xxvii. 36). The name Jack is thus a doublet 
of Jake (still used as a conscious abbr. of Ja- 
cob, and occasionally in the same general sense 
as Jack, as in country jake, applied in the IT. S. 
to a rustic), as well as of James, all being 
reduced forms of Jacob; but on passing into 
E. Jack came to be regarded as a familiar syn- 
onym or dim. of John (ME. Jan, Jon, etc., dim. 
Jankin, Jenkin, etc.), and is now so accepted. 
The F. name Jacques, being extremely com- 
mon, came to be used as a general term for a 
man, particularly a young man, of common or 
menial condition ; so E. Jack, and its synonym 
John, which is similarly used, in its various 
forms, in other languages. From this use of 
Jack, as equiv. to 'lad, boy, servant' (of. jock, 
jockey), has arisen its mod. E. use as a purely 
common noun, alone or in comp., applied to 
various contrivances which do the work of a 
common servant or are subjected to rough 
usage. Cf. billy 2 , jemmyl, jimmy 1 , betty, etc., 
likewise from familiar personal names, jemmy 
or jimmy being ult. identical with jack.'] 1. 
[cap.] An abbreviation or diminutive of the 
name Jacob, now regarded as a nickname or 
diminutive of the name John. 
For sweet Jack Falstaff, . . . banish not him thy Harry's 
company. Shak., 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4, 622. 
2. A young man; a fellow: used with jill, a 
young woman, both being commonly treated as 
proper names. 
And aryse up soft & stylle, 
And iangylle nether with lak ne lylle. 
Bailees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 22. 
That every man should take his own, 
In your waking shall be shown : 
Jack shall have Jill ; 
Nought shall go ill. 
Shak., M. N. D., ill. 2, 461. 
3f. [cap, or I.e."] A saucy or impertinent fellow; 
an upstart; a coxcomb; a jackanapes; a sham 
gentleman : as, jack lord, jack gentleman, jack 
meddler, and similar combinations. 
Since every Jack became a gentleman, 
There's many a gentle person made a Jack. 
Shak., Bich. III., i. S, 72. 
Marc. What men are these i' th' house? 
Tap. A company of quarrelling Jacks, an' please you ; 
They say they have been soldiers, and fall out 
About their valours. 
Beau, and Ft. (?), Faithful Friends, i. 2. 
4. [cap."] A familiar term of address used among 
sailors, soldiers, laborers, etc. ; hence, in popu- 
lar use (commonly Jack Tar), a sailor. 
For says he, do you mind me, let storms e'er so oft 
Take the top-sails of sailors aback, 
There's a sweet little cherub that sits up alofti 
To keep watch for the life of poor Jack. 
C. Dibdin, Poor Jack. 
5. Same as jack in the water (which see, below). 
6. [I. c. or cap."] A figure which strikes the 
bell in clocks : also called jack of the clock or 
clock-home: as, the two jacks of St. Dunstan's. 
I stand fooling here, his Jack o' the clock. 
Shak., Rich. II., v. 5, 60. 
This is the night, nine the hour, and I the jack that gives 
warning. Middleton, Blurt, Master-Constable, ii. 2. 
The jack of the clock-house, often mentioned by the writ- 
ers of the sixteenth century, was ... an automaton, that 
either struck the hours upon the bell in their proper rota- 
tion, or signified by its gestures that the clock was about 
to strike. Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 244. 
7. Any one of the knaves in a pack of playing- 
cards. 
" He calls the knaves Jacks, this boy," said Estellawith 
disdain, before our first game was out. 
Dickens, Great Expectations, viii. 
8. The male of certain animals ; specifically, a 
male ass; especially, an ass kept for getting 
mules from mares ; a jackass. [In this sense it 
is much used attributively or in composition, signifying 
'male': as, jackass, jack-ape.] 
9. A name of several different fishes, (o) A pike, 
as Eeox luciusor a related species ; especially, a small pike, 
or pickerel. Also jack-fish. 
I desire you to accept of a Jack, which is the best I have 
caught this season. Adaison, Sir Roger and Will. Wimble. 
A Jack or pickerel becomes a pike at 2 feet (Walton) and 
2 Ib. or 3 Ib. weight. Some see no distinction, calling all 
pike ; others fix the limit in different ways. 
Day, Brit. Fishes, II. 140. 
(ft) A percoid fish, Stizostedium vitreum, the pike-perch, 
(c) A scorpsenoid fish, Sebastichthys or Sebastodes pauci- 
S]riim, better known as boccaccio. (d) One of several caran- 
goid fishes, especially Caranx irisquetos, also called buffalo- 
jack, hickory -jack, and jack-fish ; also, Seriola carolinensis. 
(e) The pampano, Trachyndtue carolinus. 
jack 
10. (a) The jackdaw, Corvus monechtla. (6) 
The jack-curlew, b'unieniiis hudsonius. (c) A 
kind of pigeon ; a jacobin. 1 1 . One of various 
convenient implements or mechanical contri- 
vances obviating the need of an assistant : used 
alone or compounded with some other word 
designating the special purpose of the im- 
plement or some other distinguishing circum- 
stance : as, a pegging-jacfr; 
a shackle;/acfc, or thill-^'ocfc. 
Specifically (a) A bootjack. (6) A 
contrivance for raising great weights 
by force exerted from below. A sec- 
tion of the usual form of this machine 
is given in the annexed figure. By 
turning the handle a, the screw ft. 
the upper end of which is brought 
into contact with the mass to be 
raised, is made to ascend. This is 
effected by means of an endless 
screw working into the worm-wheel 
c, which forms the nut of the screw. 
On the lower end of the screw is fixed 
the claw d, passing through a groove 
in the stock ; this claw serves at once 
to prevent the screw 6 from turning 
and to raise bodies which lie'near the 
ground. The axis of the endless 
screw is supported by two malleable iron plates e /, bolted 
to the upper side of the wooden stock or framework in 
which the whole is inclosed. Also called jack-screw, and 
specifically lifting-jack, (c) In cookery, a roasting-jack ; a 
smoke-jack. 
We looked at his wooden jack in his chimney that goes 
with the smoake, which is indeed very pretty. 
Pepys, Diary, I. 116. 
(d) A rock-lever or oscillating lever. Such levers are used 
in stocking-frames, in knitting-machines, and in other ma- 
chinery. Their function is the actuation of other moving 
parts to produce specific results at proper periods, (e) 
In spinning, a bobbin and frame operating on the sliver 
from the carding-machine and passing the product to the 
roving-machine. (/) In weaving, same as heck-box, (g) 
In the harpsichord, clavichord, pianoforte, and similar in- 
struments, an upright piece of wood at the inner or rear 
end of each key or digital, designed to bring the motion of 
the latter to bear upon the string. In the harpsichord and 
spinet the jack carries a quill or spine by which the string 
is twanged ; in the clavichord it terminates in a metal 
tangent by which the string is pressed ; and in the piano- 
forte it merely transmits the motion of the key to the 
hammer. 
How oft when thou, my music, music play'st, . . . 
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap 
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand ! 
Shak., Sonnets, cxxviii. 
(h) A wooden frame on which wood is sawed ; a sawbuck 
or sawhorse. (i) In mining: (1) A wooden wedge used to 
split rocks after blasting ; a gad. (2) A kind of water-en- 
gine, turned by hand, for use in mines. Halliwell. (j) A 
portable cresset or fire-pan used for hunting or fishing at 
night Also called jack-lamp, jack-lantern, jack-light. (*) 
A tin case in which the safety-lamp is carried by coal- 
miners in places where the current of ah* is very strong. 
[North. Eng.] (0 In teleg. and teleph., a terminal consist- 
ing of a spring-clip, by means of which instruments can be 
expeditiotisly introduced into the circuit. In telephones 
such terminals are sometimes used at exchanges for al- 
lowing the lines of different subscribers to be quickly con- 
nected. The connection is made by means of a wire cord 
on the ends of which are metallic wedges covered on one 
side with insulating material. These wedges, called jack- 
knives or simply jacks, are inserted into the terminals of the 
lines to be connected. Also called spring-jack. 
12. A pitcher, formerly of waxed leather, after- 
ward of tin or other metal ; a black-jack. 
Small jacks we have in many ale houses tipped with sil- 
ver, besides the great jacks and bombards of the court. 
J. Heywood, Philocothonista (1635). 
Body of me, I'm dry still ; give me the jack, boy ; 
This wooden skilt holds nothing. 
Fletcher (and others), Bloody Brother, ii. 2. 
13. Ahalf-pint; also, a quarter of a pint. [Prov. 
Eng.] 14. In the game of bowls, an odd bowl 
thrown out for a mark to the players. 
Was there ever man had such luck ! when I kissed [that 
is, when my bowl touched] the jack, upon an upcast to be 
hit away ! I had a hundred pound on 't. 
SAai.,Cymbeline, ii. 1, 2. 
15. A flag showing the union only: used by 
those nations whose national standard con- 
tains a union, as Great Britain and the United 
States. The British jack is a combination in red, white, 
and blue of the crosses of St. George, St Andrew, and St. 
Patrick, and dates from 1801. In the United States naval 
service the jack is a blue flag with a white five-pointed star 
for each State in the Union. It is hoisted on a jack-statf at 
the bowsprit-cap when in port, and is also used as a signal 
for a pilot when shown at the fore. See union jack, under 
union. 
In a paper dated Friday, Jan. 14, 1652, "By the com- 
missioners for ordering and managing ye affairs of the Ad- 
miralty and Navy," ordering what flag shall be worn by 
flag-officers, it is ordered, "all the shipps to wear jacks as 
formerly." Preble, Hist, of the Flag, p. 151. 
16. A horizontal bar or crosstree of iron at 
the topgallantmast-head, to spread the royal- 
shrouds. Also called jack-crosstree. 
Though I could handle the brig's fore royal easily, I 
found my hands full with this, especially as there were no 
jacks to the ship, everything being for neatness, and no- 
thing left for Jack to hold on by but his "eyelids." 
R. a. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. 210. 
