jackal
noun
jack·al
| \ ˈja-kəl
also -ˌkȯl\
also -ˌkȯl\
Definition of jackal
1
: any of several small omnivorous canids (such as Canis aureus) of Africa and Asia having large ears, long legs, and bushy tails
2a
: 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
The little wild dogs of the desert, the jackals, had taken these travelers’ hands and feet. — Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "A storyteller chronicles the mass migrations that define our age," 17 July 2019 But the integrity of Zeffirelli’s taste, intelligence, and sexuality was never in question until now — when artistic sincerity is insufficient to satisfy the bloodthirst of media jackals who attempt to destroy any conservative ally. — Armond White, National Review, "Franco Zeffirelli: Unlikely Conservative Hero," 20 June 2019 There, mixed with surprising wildlife like jackals and gazelle on the verge of extinction, 25,000 cattle roam the grassy bluffs of Golan’s volcanic plateau. — Josh Adler, National Geographic, "Making peace in the Golan Heights—between humans and wolves," 11 Apr. 2019 And the Egyptian gods included one, Anubis, with the head of a dog or a jackal. — John Hooper, WSJ, "Pompeii, Buried for Centuries, Yields New Finds," 9 Oct. 2018 So jackals at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee leaped. — George Skelton, latimes.com, "Give California’s top-two primary some more time, and if it doesn’t get better, junk it," 11 June 2018 Hyenas chased off the smaller jackals, fighting amongst themselves for the prize. — National Geographic, "Our Favorite Lion Videos Reveal the Power of Predators," 10 Aug. 2017 Without light, the snipers and jackals patrolling the streets disappear. — Charles Theel, Ars Technica, "This War of Mine," 28 Oct. 2017 Even a jackal move – firing or reassigning Pagano and replacing him with Arians – wouldn’t have worked, because Arians wouldn’t have taken the job under those conditions. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: The uncomfortable truth – Bruce Arians is a better coach than Chuck Pagano," 14 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jackal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for jackal
jackal
noun
English Language Learners Definition of jackal
: a wild dog found in Africa and Asia
See the full definition for jackal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
jackal
noun
jack·al
| \ ˈja-kəl
\
\
Kids Definition of jackal
: a wild dog of Africa and Asia like but smaller than a wolf
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