1605. Shakspeare, Cymbeline, ii. 1, 2. Was there ever man had such
luck! when I kissed the jack upon on upcast to be hit away!
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack.
1726. Butler, Human Learning, Pt. 2. Like bowlers strive to beat
away the jack.
d. 1742. Bentley, [quoted by Johnson, 1755]. But if it, [a bowl] be
made with a byass ... it may ... run spontaneously to the Jack.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jack.
1811. Lex. Bal. s.v. jack.
3. (old: now recognised).—A contrivance to assist a person in taking
off his boots; a bootjack.
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v. Jack.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Jack.
4. (old: now colloquial).—The Knave in any of the four suits in a pack
of cards. Fr. le galuchet, or le larbin savonné or le mistigris.
1662. Rump Songs, ‘Rump Carbonado’d’. No admiral like an old
Puritan Jack. A craftier knave you can’t find in the pack.
1754. Martin, Eng. Dict. 2nd Ed. Knave, ... or a jack at cards.
1860. Dickens, Great Expectations, viii. He calls the Knaves Jacks.