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jackanapes

[ jak-uh-neyps ]
/ ˈdʒæk əˌneɪps /
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See synonyms for: jackanapes / jackanapeses on Thesaurus.com
noun
an impertinent, presumptuous person, especially a young man; whippersnapper.
an impudent, mischievous child.
Archaic. an ape or monkey.
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Origin of jackanapes

1400–50; late Middle English Jakken-apes, literally, jack (i.e., man) of the ape, nickname of William de la Pole (1396–1450), Duke of Suffolk, whose badge was an ape's clog and chain

Words nearby jackanapes

Jacareí, jacinth, jack, jack-a-dandy, jackal, jackanapes, “Jack and Jill”, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, jack arch, jackaroo, jackass
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to jackanapes

punk, rascal, kid, urchin, whippersnapper, youngster, enfant terrible, holy terror

How to use jackanapes in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jackanapes

jackanapes
/ (ˈdʒækəˌneɪps) /
noun
a conceited impertinent person
a mischievous child
archaic a monkey

Word Origin for jackanapes

C16: variant of Jakken-apes, literally: Jack of the ape, nickname of William de la Pole (1396–1450), first Duke of Suffolk, whose badge showed an ape's ball and chain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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