Jackal

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Jackal \Jack"al`\, n. [Pers. shagh[=a]l: cf. OF. jackal, F.
     chacal; cf. Skr. [,c][.r]g[=a]la.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of carnivorous animals
        inhabiting Africa and Asia, related to the dog and wolf.
        They are cowardly, nocturnal, and gregarious. They feed


        largely on carrion, and are noted for their piercing and
        dismal howling.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The common species of Southern Asia ({Canis aureus}) is
           yellowish gray, varied with brown on the shoulders,
           haunches, and legs. The common African species ({Canis
           anthus}) is darker in color.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One who does mean work for another's advantage, as jackals
        were once thought to kill game which lions appropriated.
        [Colloq.] --Ld. Lytton.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  jackal
       n : Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the
           dog; smaller than a wolf; sometimes hunts in a pack but
           usually singly or as a member of a pair [syn: {Canis
           aureus}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  70 Moby Thesaurus words for "jackal":
     African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, adherent, apple-polisher,
     ass-licker, backscratcher, backslapper, bootlick, bootlicker,
     brown-nose, brownie, brush wolf, clawback, courtier, coyote,
     creature, cringer, dingo, disciple, dummy, dupe, fawner,
     figurehead, flatterer, flunky, follower, footlicker, fox, gillie,
     goon, groveler, handshaker, hanger-on, helot, henchman, hyena,
     instrument, kowtower, lackey, led captain, lickspit, lickspittle,
     lobo, man, mealymouth, medicine wolf, minion, myrmidon, peon,
     prairie wolf, puppet, reynard, satellite, serf, slave, spaniel,
     stooge, suck, sycophant, thug, timber wolf, timeserver, toad,
     toady, tool, truckler, tufthunter, votary, wolf, yes-man