JACK-IN-THE-BOX (jacks-in-the-box)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: jacks-in-the-box   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does jack-in-the-box mean? 

• JACK-IN-THE-BOX (noun)
  The noun JACK-IN-THE-BOX has 1 sense:

1. plaything consisting of a toy clown that jumps out of a box when the lid is opened

  Familiarity information: JACK-IN-THE-BOX used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• JACK-IN-THE-BOX (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Plaything consisting of a toy clown that jumps out of a box when the lid is opened

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("jack-in-the-box" is a kind of...):

plaything; toy (an artifact designed to be played with)

 Context examples 

Thomas Mugridge popped out of his galley like a jack-in-the-box.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

No, sir, no! shouted the accused, and disappeared like a jack-in-the-box.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)