yellow jack
- noun
- /ˈjɛloʊ dʒæk/
- Archaic
:
fiebre amarilla
- The doctor diagnosed him with yellow jack.
Examples
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Some ports flew the yellow jack to signal an outbreak of disease on board.
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The doctor suspected the patient had yellow jack after observing symptoms of jaundice and fever.
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In the 19th century, outbreaks of yellow jack caused widespread fear and quarantines in southern cities.
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Have you heard about yellow jack outbreaks in the tropics?
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During the outbreak, many soldiers became ill with yellow jack, prompting the need for immediate medical attention.
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The doctor warned that yellow jack could be fatal if not treated quickly.
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In tropical regions, the threat of yellow jack makes vaccinations essential for travelers.
Synonyms
9
3.7
A serious disease spread by mosquitoes that makes the skin turn yellow
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'yellow' could suggest jaundice, the noun 'jack' (a fish or unrelated noun) gives no cue to a disease, so the compound's meaning as 'yellow fever' is historical and idiomatic rather than compositional. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer 'a serious infectious disease' from them, and most languages use a literal equivalent of 'yellow fever' rather than this idiosyncratic English name.
Etymology
Yellow jack was used for yellow fever because sick people often turned yellow and ships with the illness flew a yellow jack flag. So the phrase came to mean the serious disease we call 'yellow fever'.