A late 19th-century type is a wooden shaft about one foot long, with a leather- or macramé-covered lead ball as the head. This weapon is referred to by some sources as a "sap" (derived from "sapling" due to its wood handle), or euphemistically as a "life-preserver." The term "cosh" may also originate with this weapon, being derived from the Romani word "kašt", meaning "stick" or "piece of wood." The term "blackjack" referring to a hand weapon is of unknown etymology, and the earliest text reference is 1889.