English Explanatory Dictionary

jackal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of certain wild canids of the genera Lupulella and Canis, native to the tropical Old World and smaller than a wolf.
  2. A person who performs menial or routine tasks; a dogsbody.
  3. A person who behaves in an opportunistic way; especially a base collaborator.
  4. A jack (the playing card).
  5. A player who steals the ball at the tackle.
verb
  1. To perform menial or routine tasks

Pronunciation

en-us-jackal.ogg /ˈd͡ʒækəl/

Word forms

jackal jackals jackall jackaling jackalling jackaled jackalled

Etymology

From French chacal, chacale, checale, schakal, ciacale, from Turkish çakal, from Persian شغال (šaġâl), borrowed from Sanskrit शृगाल (śṛgāla, “jackal”).

Synonyms

quisling collaborationist collaborator collaboratress collaboratrix jackal quisler

Derived words

American jackal jackalberry jackal buzzard maanhaar-jackal red jackal Simien jackal son of a jackal werejackal
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