n., pl., jack-in-the-box·es, or jacks-in-the-box (jăks'-).
A toy consisting of a clownlike puppet that springs out of a box when the lid is activated.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
