Word Origin Atlas

Exact historical dictionary sense

Jack in Webster's 1913 dictionary

The 1913 record labels jack as noun. Its source-bounded etymology and selected historical definition appear below.

WEBSTER 1913noun
Jack

[Pg. jaca, Malayalam, tsjaka.]

Cross-verified historical sense
The source text may be outdated. The page preserves that historical boundary.
Cross-verified 1913 record
Headwordjack
Part of speechnoun
Historical etymology[Pg. jaca, Malayalam, tsjaka.]
Selected historical definitionA large tree, the Artocarpus integrifolia, common in the East Indies, closely allied to the breadfruit, from which it differs in having its leaves entire. The fruit is of great size, weighing from thirty to forty pounds, and through its soft fibrous matter are scattered the seeds, which are roasted and eaten. The wood is of a yellow color, fine grain, and rather heavy, and is much used in cabinetwork. It is also used for dyeing a brilliant yellow.
Signed record IDwebster1913-jack-noun-e1b0633eaec7
Source locatorCIDE.J, paragraph 34; Gutenberg eBook 664
Edition-scoped answerNot earliest-attestation proofNot modern consensus
Independent historical textProject Gutenberg section 664Signed structural record sourceGNU GCIDE 0.54 archive
Quick answer

In Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), "jack" is labeled noun. Its etymology is recorded as: "[Pg. jaca, Malayalam, tsjaka.]" The selected historical definition says: "A large tree, the Artocarpus integrifolia, common in the East Indies, closely allied to the breadfruit, from which it differs in having its leaves entire. The fruit is of great size, weighing from thirty to forty pounds, and through its soft fibrous matter are scattered the seeds, which are roasted and eaten. The wood is of a yellow color, fine grain, and rather heavy, and is much used in cabinetwork. It is also used for dyeing a brilliant yellow."

Project Gutenberg Webster 1913 plus signed GNU GCIDE 0.54 Exact cross-verified historical record reviewed 2026-10-04

What this answer proves

One named sense in one historical dictionary edition.

The answer reports the selected headword, part of speech, etymology, definition, and source locator as transcribed in the cross-verified 1913 record.

Evidence boundaryIt does not establish the earliest attestation or a complete borrowing chain.It does not claim current scholarly consensus or a modern dictionary definition.Historical dictionary text may be obsolete, incomplete, inaccurate, or offensive by modern standards.

More released J records

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noun

Jump

[Cf. F. jupe a long petticoat, a skirt. Cf. juppon.]

Webster 1913 exact record

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