# Jacques

/ˈdʒæk/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jacques
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a toilet

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old word for a toilet or an outdoor bathroom.

For teachers: an obsolete or archaic term for a privy, outhouse, or lavatory; a variant spelling of 'jakes'.

- The old farmhouse still had a wooden jacques at the end of the garden.
- The historical novelist described the squalor of the medieval city, noting the stench emanating from the public jacques near the market square.

Usage: Usually appears in historical texts or literature set in the early modern period.

### 2. a person's name

noun · CEFR B1

a common French name for a man, similar to the English name James or Jacob.

For teachers: a French male given name, etymologically equivalent to the English Jacob or James.

- Jacques is a very popular name in France and parts of Canada.
- The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau had a profound influence on the political theories of the French Revolution.

## Examples

- Jacques is a very popular name in France.
- The historian explained that Jacques was often used as a collective nickname for the rural poor during the uprising.
- The term Jacquerie, derived from the common name Jacques, refers to the series of peasant revolts that shook northern France during the Hundred Years' War.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.