 The jack, or target ball, is a small ball made of wood, traditionally boxwood or beechwood, in diameter.In the past jacks were often left "natural"—unfinished or with a clear finish—but nowadays they are often painted in bright colors.In French, the jack is known by a variety of names, including "but" (goal or target), "cochonnet" (piglet), "bouchon" ("little ball" in provençal language, not related to the French word "bouchon" that designates a bottle stopper), "le petit" (the little one), and "gari" ("rat", also in provençal language).