Definition

A game where players try to pick up thin sticks or straws from a pile without moving the others, or one of the sticks used in this game.

Example

We played jackstraws at the party, and it was a lot of fun trying to pick up the sticks carefully.

Conversation

Have you ever played jackstraw when you were a kid?

Yeah, I remember it being so much fun and challenging!

It’s amazing how something so simple can be so entertaining.

Absolutely! I loved trying to carefully pull out each jackstraw without messing up the pile.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

The word 'jackstraw' originates from Middle English, where 'jack' refers to a man or a fellow (from Old French 'jacque') and 'straw' refers to dried stalks of grain. The term originally described a scarecrow, which is a figure made of straw to scare away birds from fields, often depicted as a man-like figure.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'fellow' ('jack') made of 'straw' standing in a field to scare away birds — that's what a jackstraw is.

Visually Confused Words