Crossword Genius

Can Jack be sick? (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

jail

'can' is the definition.
(The Can is slang for prison)

'jack be sick?' is the wordplay.
'jack' becomes 'j' (playing card abbreviation).
'be sick?' becomes 'ail' ('ail' can be a synonym of 'be sick'**).
'j'+'ail'='JAIL'

(Other definitions for jail that I've seen before include "sentence" , "(Send to) prison" , "Clink" , "having a stretch here?" , "Cooler" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.