Etymology

jackpot

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Today it means: A money prize pool which accumulates until the conditions are met for it to be won. Full definition →

English pot ← Middle English pot ← Old French pot
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jackpot · noun, verb1

  1. Biblical Hebrewעָקַב
  2. Biblical Hebrewיַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ)
  3. Ancient GreekἸακώβ (Iakṓb)
  4. Ancient GreekἸάκωβος (Iákōbos)
  5. LatinIācōbusslbor.?
  6. FrenchJacques
  7. Middle EnglishJackin
  8. EnglishJack
  9. Englishjack
  10. Proto-Germanic*puttaz
  11. Old Englishpott
  12. Proto-Germanic*puttaz
  13. Frankish*pott
  14. Vulgar Latinpottum
  15. Old Frenchpot
  16. Middle Englishpot
  17. Englishpot
  18. English todayjackpot

Attested as jack-pot (“big prize”), 1944; from sense "slot machine" (1932), from obsolete poker sense (1881) "antes that begin when no player has a pair of jacks or better"; from jack (“playing card”) + pot.

jackpot · noun2

Unknown. Criminal slang usage as "trouble, especially an arrest" attested 1902.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.