Definitions For Jackleg

Noun

JACKLEG (plural JACKLEGs) A type of drill operated by means of compressed air. (US) An amateur; an untrained or incompetent person. (US) A shyster or con artist; a gambler who cheats;Tom Dalzell (ed.), The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, New York: Routledge, 8th edition, 2009, p. 554. a generally dishonest or reprehensible person.

Derived terms

jackleg fence

Adjective

(not comparable) (US) amateur, amateur, untrained; incompetent. (US) dishonest, dishonest, unscrupulous. (US) inept, ineptly built or operated; makeshift.

Alternative forms

jacklegged (adjective)

Etymology

Compare blackleg (a person who replaces striking workers; a cheater) and such expressions as jack of all trades, every man jack.

Usage notes

Although the term most often carries negative connotations (inept, dishonest), it may also have positive ones (self-taught expert, hands-on learner). Occasionally it is used as a generic pejorative intensifier, equivalent to damn, out-and-out, etc., e.g. a jackleg crook, a jackleg bastard.