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Jack·son (jăksən)
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The capital and largest city of Mississippi, in the west-central part of the state. Originally a small trading post, it was chosen as capital in 1821 and named for Andrew Jackson.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Michael 1958-2009.
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American singer and songwriter whose album Thriller (1982) became the all-time best-selling album. Known for his inventive dance moves, Jackson helped to popularize music videos.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Thomas Jonathan Known as "Stonewall." 1824-1863.
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American Confederate general who commanded troops at both battles of Bull Run (1861 and 1862) and directed the Shenandoah Valley campaign (1862). He was accidentally killed by his own troops at Chancellorsville (1863).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Mahalia1911–1972.
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American singer whose powerful performances and recordings, such as "Move On Up a Little Higher" (1948), did much to popularize gospel music among general audiences.
(click for a larger image)
Mahalia Jackson
1962 photograph by Carl Van Vechten (1880–1964)

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Joseph Jefferson Known as "Shoeless Joe." 1888?-1951.
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American baseball player who had a career batting average of .356, batting over .370 four times and .408 in 1911. In 1921 he and seven teammates from the Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for life for allegedly throwing the 1919 World Series.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Jesse Louis Originally Jesse Louis Burns. Born 1941.
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American civil rights leader and politician. A Baptist minister, he directed national antidiscrimination efforts (1966-1977) and sought the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Helen (Maria Fiske) Hunt 1830-1885.
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American writer known for Ramona (1884), a romantic novel concerning the injustices suffered by Native Americans.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Jackson, Andrew Known as "Old Hickory." 1767-1845.
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The seventh president of the United States (1829-1837), who as an officer in the War of 1812 defeated the British at New Orleans (1815). As president he opposed the Bank of the United States, strengthened federal and presidential powers, and pursued policies that forced thousands of Native Americans to relocate to the western United States.
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Andrew Jackson
miniature portrait by James
Tooley, Jr. (1816-1844) after
an 1840 portrait by
Edward Dalton Marchant
(1806-1887)

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.