jack

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a playing card with a picture of a young man on it, worth more than a ten but less than a queen.

n. a face card in a standard deck, ranking between the ten and the queen, typically depicting a young man or servant.

“I have two aces and a jack in my hand.”

“The player revealed a pair of jacks, narrowly beating his opponent's high-card hand to win the final pot.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Electronics

n. a hole or socket where you plug in a cable for headphones or other equipment.

n. a female electrical connector or socket designed to receive a plug for transmitting audio or data signals.

“My new phone doesn't have a headphone jack, so I have to use wireless ones.”

“The technician checked the audio jack for debris after the speakers began emitting a persistent crackling sound.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal · Slang · American English

n. nothing; used in phrases like 'you don't know jack' to mean you know nothing.

n. used as a synonym for 'nothing' or 'anything' in negative constructions; often considered mildly vulgar or emphatic.

“I worked all weekend and they didn't pay me jack.”

“Despite his claims of expertise, it became clear during the interview that he didn't know jack about the software's architecture.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to lift something heavy using a tool.

v. to raise a heavy object, particularly a vehicle, by means of a mechanical jack.

“We need to jack up the van to check the brakes.”

“The mechanic jacked up the front end of the car to inspect the suspension for signs of wear.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to suddenly increase a price or an amount by a lot.

v. to increase a price, rate, or amount significantly and often unfairly.

“The shops always jack up their prices right before the holiday season.”

“Landlords in the city centre have been jacking up rents so high that local businesses are being forced to close.”

C1 · Advanced Slang · American English

v. to steal something, especially a car.

v. to steal an object or rob a person, frequently used in the context of vehicle theft.

“Someone tried to jack his bike while he was in the shop.”

“He was warned not to leave his engine running, as cars are frequently jacked in that neighbourhood.”

C2 · Proficiency Informal · Dialect

adj. to be tired of something or annoyed by it.

adj. to be thoroughly bored, tired, or disillusioned with a situation.

“I'm totally jack of this job and I want to quit.”

“After three months of constant rain and grey skies, the locals were getting jack of the weather.”