jumping jack
2
4.3
- noun
- /ˈdʒʌmpɪŋ dʒæk/
:
muñeco saltarín
- He demonstrated how to use a jumping jack by pulling the strings to show its movement.
- 100 jumping jacks
- 10 jumping jacks
- 20 jumping jacks
Examples
-
Do 5 jumping jacks in each corner of the gym.
Academic text (1998) -
Next, the subjects were asked to perform 10, 20, 35, or 100 jumping jacks.
Academic text (1993) -
Thus, 20, 35, and 100 jumping jacks all generated greater heart rate change than 10 jumping jacks did.
Academic text (1993) -
Slide to the jumping jacks cone and perform 25 jumping jacks with at least four variations in arm or foot patterns.
Academic text (1998) -
Mead did knee bends and jumping jacks to loosen his ankle and his leg.
Fiction book (1990) -
The aerobic activities can be done in place (jumping-jack variations) or moving around the stations (jog, skip, or slide).
Academic text (1998) -
The children laughed as they played with a jumping jack, pulling the strings to make it move up and down.
-
For exercise, she usually does a few jumping jacks to warm up before her workout.
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'jumping' (moving up and down) combined with 'jack' (a small toy/figure) yields a toy figure that jumps when operated. This follows normal noun+modifier compounding and has clear parallels in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Jumping jack is the name of a small toy whose name shows what it does: the figure's arms and legs are jumping up and down when you pull the strings. The word jack was often used for a 'man' or simple figure, so the name jumping jack simply describes a little figure that jumps.