General
jack
What does jack mean?
To steal, rob or take by force. Carjack, jack a phone, jack someone for their chain. Crossed over from American hip-hop slang into MLE decades ago and is now fully naturalised.
"Some yutes tried to jack his bike outside the station."
Origin
American slang shortening of 'hijack' or 'carjack', adopted into UK street vocabulary via hip-hop in the 80s/90s.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'jack' mean in baseball?
To jack means to hit a home run with power; as a noun, a 'jack' is the home run itself.
How do you use 'jack' as a baseball term?
You'd say a batter 'jacked one' when he crushed a home run, e.g. 'He jacked a two-run shot to right.'
Where does the baseball term 'jack' come from?
It's American baseball slang for hitting a ball hard, prized for its punchy, almost onomatopoeic sound.
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