blackjack
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: blăk'jăk
ipa: /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/
Forms: form: blackjacks
form: black jack
form: black-jack
Etymology: From black + jack.
Senses: topics: card-games
games
synonyms: pontoon
twenty-one
vingt-et-un
glosses: A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over.
topics: card-games
games
glosses: A hand in the game of blackjack consisting of a face card and an ace.
topics: card-games
games
glosses: A variant of switch where each player is initially dealt the same number of cards, usually seven, and when one player plays a black jack the player whose turn comes next has to pick up that many cards, unless they play a red jack (as this normally cancels a black jack).
topics: card-games
games
glosses: A variant of hearts where the Jack of Spades is the penalty card.
glosses: The flag (i.e., a jack) traditionally flown by pirate ships; popularly thought to be a white skull and crossed bones on a black field (the Jolly Roger).
examples: text: The pain is sometimes like the dull, heavy thud of being hit with a lead-filled blackjack; other times like a wizard is reaching deep below the skin and ripping muscles, tendons, and nerves.
ref: 2016, Justin O. Schmidt, The Sting of the Wild, Johns Hopkins University Press,, →ISBN, page 131:
topics: engineering
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
tools
war
weaponry
coordinate_terms: baton
cosh
sap
glosses: A small, flat, blunt, usually leather-covered weapon loaded with heavy material such as lead or ball bearings, intended to inflict a blow to the head that renders the victim unconscious with diminished risk of lasting cranial trauma.
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: A tool of leather filled with shot (or similar), resembling the weapon, used for shaping sheet metal.
glosses: Any of several species of weed of genus Bidens, such as Bidens pilosa, in the family Compositae.
examples: text: A little creek ran through the land, and the prairie rolled a little there, too. Nothing but blackjacks for miles around it, but on that section, because of the water, I suppose, there were elms and persimmons and cottonwoods and even a grove of pecans.
ref: 1930, Edna Ferber, Cimarron, page 23:
text: A steep slope rose, crested by stunted blackjacks.
ref: 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Library of America, published 1985, page 20:
glosses: Ellipsis of blackjack oak.
examples: text: This man had a brother about six miles off, settled on a rich White River bottom-land farm -- and while a blackjack clay soil yielded seventy bushels to the acre, this fine bottom-land would not average fifty.
ref: 1859, Henry Ward Beecher, Plain and Pleasant Talk about Fruits, Flowers, and Farming, page 216:
text: Blackjack soil is generally the poorest of all; it covers the narrow and rocky ridges, and has a stunted growth of blackjack and post oaks. The soil is dark in color, thin and cold, and is underlaid with pale yellow or slate-colored clay.
ref: 1884, United States Census Office, Census Reports: Tenth Census: June 1, 1880: Cotton production in the United States, page 20:
text: The predominant soil is the blackjack soil like that of the lower plateaus, seemingly, however, in most cases a little more sandy and a little coarser in grain.
ref: 1911, Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, page 1871:
text: Today, most types of land development in areas underlain by Iredell and related “blackjack” soil series—a catch-all term for Jackland, Whitestore, Orange, Zion, and other high shrink-swell clayey soils—is generally discouraged.
ref: 2010, Gary Mark Fleeger, Steven J. Whitmeyer, The Mid-Atlantic Shore to the Appalachian Highlands: Field Trip Guidebook for the 2010 Joint Meeting of the Northeastern and Southeastern GSA Sections, Geological Society of America, →ISBN, page 48:
text: Cotton grew robustly in western Cabarrus County's blackjack soil, pointing Concord beyond its agricultural base toward its first industry: textiles.
ref: 2011, Michael Eury, Concord, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN:
glosses: Any of a series of hard, dark soils, often considered low quality, but suitable for growing certain crops such as cotton.
examples: text: "Next!" steps gingerly in to confront the medical eye fastened questioningly upon him. "Crook in the guts," he says tersely. The picturesque reports of previously treated and disgusted patients - have left him doubtful, and he casts, an anathematising eye upon the "Black Jack" bottle. "Tabloids and duty!" says the doctor, and the sufferer sighs with relief.
ref: 1914 October 11, The Sunday Times, Perth, Australia, page 1, column 9:
text: I remember Black Jack very well and actually like the smell. It is no longer available with that trade name but glycerine of ichthammol can still be bought in chemists.
ref: 2010 October 19, John Davies, birminghamhistory.co.uk:
text: Used to be called Black Jack think my mom had an ancient jar in her medicine cupboard.
ref: 2008 September 19, stef240377, MoneySavingExpert.com:
topics: medicine
pharmacology
sciences
glosses: Ammonium bituminosulfonate.
Derived terms: with blackjack and hookers