Jacob's ladder. (a) (Bot.) A perennial herb of the genus Polemonium having corymbs of drooping flowers, usually blue. Gray. (b) (Naut.) A rope ladder, with wooden steps, for going aloft. R. H. Dana, Jr. (c) (Naut.) A succession of short cracks in a defective spar.Jacob's membrane. See Retina.Jacob's staff. (a) A name given to many forms of staff or weapon, especially in the Middle Ages; a pilgrim's staff. [Obs.] Spenser. (b) (Surveying) See under Staff.

Jacobæan lily
(Jac`o*bæ"an lil"y) [See Jacobean.] (Bot.) A bulbous plant (Amaryllis, or Sprekelia, formosissima) from Mexico. It bears a single, large, deep, red, lilylike flower. [Written also Jacobean.]

Jackman to Jail

Jackman
(Jack"man) n.; pl. Jackmen

1. One wearing a jack; a horse soldier; a retainer. See 3d Jack, n.

Christie . . . the laird's chief jackman.
Sir W. Scott.

2. A cream cheese. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.

Jack-o'-lantern
(Jack"-o'-lan`tern) n. See Jack-with-a-lantern, under 2d Jack.

Jackpudding
(Jack"pud`ding) n. A merry- andrew; a buffoon. Milton.

Jacksaw
(Jack"saw`) n. (Zoöl.) The merganser.

Jackscrew
(Jack"screw`) n. A jack in which a screw is used for lifting, or exerting pressure. See Illust. of 2d Jack, n., 5.

Jackslave
(Jack"slave`) n. A low servant; a mean fellow. Shak.

Jacksmith
(Jack"smith`) n. A smith who makes jacks. See 2d Jack, 4, c. Dryden.

Jacksnipe
(Jack"snipe`) n. (Zoöl.) (a) A small European snipe (Limnocryptes gallinula); — called also judcock, jedcock, juddock, jed, and half snipe. (b) A small American sandpiper (Tringa maculata); — called also pectoral sandpiper, and grass snipe.

Jackstay
(Jack"stay`) n. (Naut.) A rail of wood or iron stretching along a yard of a vessel, to which the sails are fastened.

Jackstone
(Jack"stone`) n. (a) One of the pebbles or pieces used in the game of jackstones. (b) (pl.) A game played with five small stones or pieces of metal. See 6th Chuck.

Jackstraw
(Jack"straw`) n.

1. An effigy stuffed with straw; a scarecrow; hence, a man without property or influence. Milton.

2. One of a set of straws of strips of ivory, bone, wood, etc., for playing a child's game, the jackstraws being thrown confusedly together on a table, to be gathered up singly by a hooked instrument, without touching or disturbing the rest of the pile. See Spilikin.

Jackwood
(Jack"wood`) n. Wood of the jack used in cabinetwork.

Jacob
(Ja"cob) n. [Cf. F. Jacob. See 2d Jack.] A Hebrew patriarch (son of Isaac, and ancestor of the Jews), who in a vision saw a ladder reaching up to heaven (Gen. xxviii. 12); — also called Israel.

And Jacob said . . . with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands.
Gen. xxxii. 9, 10.

Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel.
Gen. xxxii. 28.


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