jack|knife

jack|knife
jack|knife «JAK NYF», noun, plural -knives, verb, -knifed, -knif|ing, adjective.
–n.
1. a large, strong pocketknife.
2. a kind of dive in which the diver, keeping his knees straight, touches his feet with hi hands in midair and straightens out before entering the water.
3. Theater. a rolling platform for changing scenery, attached to the stage floor at one place, and pivoted so that it can be rotated on and off stage.
–v.t.
1. to double up like a jackknife: »

Never jackknife an injured person into a car seat.

2. to cut with a jackknife.
–v.i.
1. to double up like a jackknife.
2. to dive into the water doubled up like this.
3. to turn at a sharp angle like a jackknife: »

It has been estimated that…an articulated vehicle jackknifes on average once in every 50,000 miles (New Scientist).

–adj.
1. like a jackknife; turning or rotating like a jackknife: »

a jackknife bridge, a jackknife stage.

2. like that of a jackknife or jackknife dive: »

By a jackknife motion, a skilful athlete can jump over a bar whilst his centre of gravity is actually below it (New Scientist).

╂[American English. Compare dialectal English jackleg knife.]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • jack-knife — jack knife1 plural jack knives n 1.) a knife with a blade that folds into its handle 2.) a ↑dive in which you bend at the waist when you are in the air jack knife 2 jack knife2 v [I] if a large vehicle with two parts jack knifes, it slides out of …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • jack-knife — {{11}}jack knife (n.) also jackknife, large pocket knife, 1711, probably Amer.Eng., perh[aps] associated with some sense of JACK sb.1, but Cf. jackleg knife [OED]; see JACK (Cf. jack) + KNIFE (Cf. knife) (n.). Jackleg was a U.S. colloquial term… …   Etymology dictionary

  • jack-knife — 1. noun a) A compact folding knife. He kept a jack knife in his pocket for various tasks. b) The front dive pike, in which the body folds and unfolds. It took me hundreds of dives to master even the simple jackknife …   Wiktionary

  • jack-knife — jack knifes, jack knifing, jack knifed VERB If a truck that is in two parts jack knifes, the back part swings around at a sharp angle to the front part in an uncontrolled way as the truck is moving. His vehicle jack knifed, and crashed across all …   English dictionary

  • jack knife — knife which folds into the handle …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Jack-Knife Gypsy — Infobox Album | Name = Jack Knife Gypsy Type = Album Artist = Paul Siebel Released = June, 1971 Recorded = 1971 Genre = Country rock/Folk rock Length = 37:44 Label = Elektra (42076), Line (900951) Producer = Robert W. Zachary Reviews = *Allmusic… …   Wikipedia

  • jack-knife — 1 noun plural jack knives, (C) 1 a knife with a blade that folds into its handle 2 a dive 2 (1) in which you bend at the waist when you are in the air 2 verb jack knifing, jack knifed (I) if a large vehicle with two parts jack knifes, the back… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • jack knife — The action of a vehicle (tractor) with a trailer in which the trailer and the vehicle form a V instead of normally being pulled in a straight line. Usually this is the result of a skid in which the trailer swings around dangerously and tries to… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • jack-knife — …   Useful english dictionary

  • The Jack-Knife Man — Infobox Film name = The Jack Knife Man image size = caption = director = King Vidor producer = King Vidor writer = Ellis Parker Butler William Parker narrator = starring = F. A. Turner music = cinematography = Ira H. Morgan editing = distributor …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”