jackstaff C2+ Topic:Transportation US /ˈdʒækˌstæf/ UK /ˈdʒækstɑːf/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun nautical: a short staff fixed at a ship's bow or bowsprit cap from which the jack is flown A lantern hung from the ferryboat's jackstaff above the bow. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · nautical: a short staff... jack staffflagstaff Word family Related forms jackbowspritensign Etymology A compound of jack, in its nautical sense 'a small national flag flown by a ship,' and staff. The closed spelling jackstaff and the open form jack staff are both attested. Topics Transportation External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # jackstaff **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈdʒækˌstæf/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdʒækstɑːf/ ## Meanings 1. nautical: a short staff fixed at a ship's bow or bowsprit cap from which the jack is flown ## Examples - A lantern hung from the ferryboat's jackstaff above the bow. ## Synonyms - jack staff - flagstaff ## Related Forms - jack - bowsprit - ensign ## Etymology A compound of jack, in its nautical sense 'a small national flag flown by a ship,' and staff. The closed spelling jackstaff and the open form jack staff are both attested. ## Topics - Transportation markdown