n. 1. a man's high tasseled boot. [ 19th century ]
Syn. -- Hessian boot, hessian, Wellington, Wellington boot. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A strong leather boot reaching up to or over the knee; it is worn mostly by soldiers. [ PJC ]

n. Wearing jackboots; -- used especially as a metaphor for harshly repressive and militaristic; as, jackbooted government agents. [ PJC ]

n. [ from the jackboots worn as part of the uniform of police in certain totalitarian countries. ] Harsh strongarm tactics; repressive, bullying and militaristic tactics like those used in authoritarian or totalitarian countries; -- used opprobriously, and often in hyperbolic exaggeration of police tactics in democratic countries. [ PJC ]