Jock
/dʒɒk/noun
An informal term for a male athlete, especially one regarded as sporty or macho.
Did you know?The word is a Scottish pet form of John, and its modern sports meaning grew in American slang in the early 20th century, with no occult origin but a very real social transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
Iohannes
“The biblical name John, from Latin and Greek forms of Hebrew Yohanan, “Yahweh is gracious.””
Middle English
ME
Jankin / Jock
“Jock emerges in Scots as a familiar nickname form of John.”
17th–19th Century
Scots
Jock
“A common Scottish nickname for a man, especially a rustic or stereotypically Scottish one.”
Early 20th Century
English
jock
“American slang for a male athlete or sports enthusiast.”
Modern English
English
jock
“An informal term for a male athlete, especially one regarded as sporty or macho.”