jack·al

(jăk′əl, -ôl′)

1. Any of several mammals of the genus Canis of Africa, Asia, and southeast Europe, that are chiefly foragers feeding on plants, small animals, and occasionally carrion.

a. One who seeks to gain advantage or profit from the difficulties of another.

b. One who performs menial tasks for another.

[Turkish çakal (influenced in English by Jack, man, fellow), from Persian šaghāl, from Middle Indic sigāl, from Sanskrit śṛgālaḥ, of unknown origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

jackal

(ˈdʒækɔːl)

1. (Animals) any of several African or S Asian canine mammals of the genus Canis, closely related to the dog, having long legs and pointed ears and muzzle: predators and carrion-eaters

2. a person who does menial tasks for another

3. a villain, esp a swindler

[C17: from Turkish chakāl, from Persian shagāl, from Sanskrit srgāla]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

jack•al

(ˈdʒæk əl, -ɔl)

n.

1. any of several nocturnal wild dogs of the genus Canis, esp. C. aureus, of Asia and Africa, that scavenge or hunt in packs.

2. a person who performs dishonest or base deeds as the accomplice of another.

3. a person who performs menial or degrading tasks for another.

[1595–1605; < alter. of Persian shag(h)āl]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

jackal - Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the dog; smaller than a wolf; sometimes hunts in a pack but usually singly or as a member of a pair

Canis aureus

canid, canine - any of various fissiped mammals with nonretractile claws and typically long muzzles

Canis, genus Canis - type genus of the Canidae: domestic and wild dogs; wolves; jackals

Translations

إبْن آوى

šakal

sjakal

Schakal

τσακάλι

chacal

شغال

lierosakaali

chacal

sakál

sjakali

sciacallo

šakalas

šakā-lis

šakal

jackal

[ˈdʒækɔːl] N → chacal m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

jackal

[ˈdʒækɔːl] n → chacal m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

jackal

n → Schakal m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

jackal

[ˈdʒækɔːl] n → sciacallo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

jackal

(ˈdʒӕkoːl) , ((American) -kl) noun

a type of wild animal similar to a dog or wolf.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

At last, it began to get about, among such as were interested in the matter, that although Sydney Carton would never be a lion, he was an amazingly good jackal, and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity.

View in context

The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf.

View in context

But Faith, like a jackal, feeds among the tombs, and even from these dead doubts she gathers her most vital hope.

View in context

To come to the Peace Rock fresh from a kill of Man--and to boast of it--is a jackal's trick.

View in context

But instead of either of these, he saw nothing but a strange face, sunburnt, and encircled by a beard, with eyes brilliant as carbuncles, and a smile upon the mouth which displayed a perfect set of white teeth, pointed and sharp as the wolf's or jackal's.

View in context

Who are we, the Gidur-log [the jackal people], to pick and choose?" He scuttled to the back of the cave, where he found the bone of a buck with some meat on it, and sat cracking the end merrily.

View in context

There's a pretty fellow, now, he banteringly laughed, standing in the ship's bows, there's a jackal for ye!

View in context

he was evil!--he was cunning as a jackal, and fierce like a lion..

View in context

I listened, wondering, As on it crept: at first a gentle sigh, Like as a spirit passing; then it swelled Into the roaring of great waves that smite The broken vanguard of the cliff: the rage Of storm-black tigers in the startled night Among the jackals of the wind and rain.

View in context

"Let them be, my friend," said Don Quixote; "this insult is the penalty of my sin; and it is the righteous chastisement of heaven that jackals should devour a vanquished knight, and wasps sting him and pigs trample him under foot."

View in context

I think the Fire People had already begun to be afraid of the dark in this fashion; but the reasons we Folk had for breaking up our hee-hee councils and fleeing to our holes were old Saber-Tooth, the lions and the jackals, the wild dogs and the wolves, and all the hungry, meat-eating breeds.

View in context

The Trojans had gathered round Ulysses like ravenous mountain jackals round the carcase of some horned stag that has been hit with an arrow--the stag has fled at full speed so long as his blood was warm and his strength has lasted, but when the arrow has overcome him, the savage jackals devour him in the shady glades of the forest.

View in context