What does "jackanapes" mean?
(A proper name for) an ape or monkey, especially a tame one kept for entertainment or as a pet.
Jackanapes
/ˈd͡ʒækəneɪps/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: (A proper name for) an ape or monkey, especially a tame one kept for entertainment or as a pet.
- Grammar: jackanapes is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: beau, beau brummel, blade, blood.
- Useful contrasts: humble person, modest person, obedient child.
- Usage evidence: To iettynge, to iaggynge, and to full of iapes; / To mockynge, to mowynge, to lye a iackenapes: […]
How to use "jackanapes"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jackanapes" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jackanapes" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jackanapes" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jackanapes" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beau" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 (A proper name for) an ape or monkey, especially a tame one kept for entertainment or as a pet. obsolete
"To iettynge, to iaggynge, and to full of iapes; / To mockynge, to mowynge, to lye a iackenapes: […]"
- 2 plural of jackanape form-of, plural
- 3 someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous wordnet
- 4 (A proper name for) a person thought to behave like an ape or monkey, for example, in being impudent, mischievous, vain, etc.; specifically (chiefly humorous), an impudent or mischievous child. broadly, dated, derogatory
"I [Aye], quoth Jack a napes, by these ten bones, / Nothing happens amiss to a præparid minde, / Tis good philosophy, katt will to kinde."
- 5 A crucifix. broadly, derogatory, obsolete, rare
"I wyl rather haue these knees pared of, then I wil kneele to yonder iacknapes (meaning the rode) God healpe me I am borne to trouble and aduersity in this world."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A small pulley which keeps a rope in line when lifting ore, water, etc., from a mine. broadly, obsolete
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
humble personmodest personobedient childwell-behaved child
Example
"To iettynge, to iaggynge, and to full of iapes; / To mockynge, to mowynge, to lye a iackenapes: […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jackanapes"?
Common synonyms include: beau, beau brummel, blade, blood, clotheshorse, coxcomb.
How do you use "jackanapes" in a sentence?
To iettynge, to iaggynge, and to full of iapes; / To mockynge, to mowynge, to lye a iackenapes: […]
How do you pronounce "jackanapes"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒækəneɪps/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English iack napys, iac nape, iac napes (“derogatory nickname of the English military commander and statesman William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1396–1450)”), probably from Jacun or Jakin (“pet forms of the male name Jack”) + ape (“ape, monkey”) + -s (possibly modelled after surnames such as Hobbes and Jakkes), referring to Suffolk’s heraldic badge which was an ape’s chain and clog (“weight such as a block of wood or log attached to an animal to hinder motion”) (see the image, right). It is uncertain whether the word was first coined as a nickname for Suffolk (the earliest known uses), or to refer to an ape or an ape-like person. If the word was originally a nickname, some early uses of etymology 1 sense 2.1 (“person thought to behave like an ape or monkey”) may allude to Suffolk who was widely regarded as an upstart, having risen from the merchant class. In later uses, the middle element of the word was often treated as the indefinite article a or an, that is, as if the word meant “Jack, an ape”.
Etymology 2
From jackanape + -s (suffix forming regular plurals of nouns).