Jackstones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A game involving small stones or metal pieces
2. a set of small, typically star-shaped objects used in children's games
3. an activity requiring skill whereby players try to pick up pieces while bouncing a ball

Etymology: "Jackstones" is the plural of "jackstone," a compound of "jack" and "stone." The game is played with small pieces, traditionally pebbles or stones, which players toss, sweep up, and catch in a fixed sequence, and the name reflects the stones themselves rather than any particular rule of play. The first element, "jack," is the harder part. It is a short, common word that has been used for many small or substitute objects in English, and in this compound it simply names the small piece used in the game. So the name works as a plain description: the stones that serve as the game's jacks.

Synonyms: jacks, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID, INVALID