jackal

noun

jack·​al ˈja-kəl How to pronounce jackal (audio)
 also  -ˌkȯl
1
: any of several small omnivorous canids (such as Canis aureus) of Africa and Asia having large ears, long legs, and bushy tails
2
a
: a person who performs routine or menial tasks for another
b
: a person who serves or collaborates with another especially in the commission of base acts

Examples of jackal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a result, a few jackals have become more daring in the face of an evidently uneager lion. Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022 In between tallies, the men lunge at each other’s throats like jackals. Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Nov. 2024 But while the Ethiopian wolf’s diet is largely composed of rodents, a new study published on November 19th in the journal Ecology confirms that the red jackals also frequently forage for Ethiopian red hot poker nectar themselves. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024 Some online commentators worried about the pup’s well-being, some took the opportunity to crack jokes and others drew a connection between the stray and Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead typically depicted as a jackal or a human with a jackal’s head. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jackal 

Word History

Etymology

Turkish çakal, from Persian shaqāl, of Indo-Aryan origin; akin to Sanskrit sṛgāla jackal

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jackal was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near jackal

Cite this Entry

“Jackal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackal. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

jackal

noun
jack·​al ˈjak-əl How to pronounce jackal (audio)
-ˌȯl
: any of several wild dogs of Africa and Asia like but smaller than the related wolves

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