Brewer's: Jackal

A toady. One who does the dirty work of another. It was once thought that the jackals hunted in troops to provide the lion with prey, hence they were called the “lion's providers.” No doubt the lion will at times avail himself of the jackal's assistance by appropriating prey started by these “hunters,” but it would be folly to suppose that the jackal acted on the principle of vos non vobis. (See Honeycomb.)

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language