jackstones
jackstones Lexical Profile
jackstones Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A traditional children's game of dexterity in which players toss a small object or ball into the air and attempt to scoop up small six-pronged metal or plastic pieces from a flat surface before catching it.
"The children sat in a circle on the porch playing a lively game of jackstones."
The small pebbles, knucklebones, or six-pointed metal or plastic pieces tossed and picked up in the game of jacks (plural of jackstone).
"She kept a cloth pouch filled with brass jackstones and a small rubber ball in her desk drawer."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the game itself, "jackstones" is plural in form but treated as a singular noun in verb agreement.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Recorded in the late 17th century as an alteration of Scottish "chackstane" (from "chack", meaning to toss or snatch, and "stane", meaning stone), referring to the pebbles originally used to play the game.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.