Jack the Ripper
/ˌdʒæk ðə ˈrɪpə(r)/
/ˌdʒæk ðə ˈrɪpər/
- the name given to an unknown man who murdered and cut up several prostitutes in Whitechapel, London, in 1888. The name was used in a letter by someone who claimed to be the killer but may have been a journalist. People have tried ever since to find out who he was, but without success. There have been many novels, plays and films about the murders.