If you look up the term Jacquard, you will get a number of different definitions:
Jacquard fabric is a textured fabric that has complex patterns woven into it, rather than printed, dyed, or embroidered on top. Jacquard weaving has its origins in sixth-century Italian brocade, and it remains one of the most popular types of fabric to this day."
The term can also refer to the device on a loom to create fabrics in color:
Jacquard is an apparatus with perforated cards, fitted to a loom to facilitate the weaving of figured and brocaded fabrics."
For machine knitters, jacquard can simply refer to knitting with different color yarns. Machine knitters have a number of methods of accomplishing this.
Knit-In | Fairisle : 2 colors per row knit on the single bed with automatic patterning (punchcards or electronics). Fairisle can be knitted with 2 yarns in the carriage and both colors knit with a single pass of the carriage.
Manual machines: Manually select the needles, use the hold setting and knit multiple passes of the carriage for each color (similar to intarsia)
Multi-color Slip and Multi-Color Tuck . colors are knit one at a time, with a multi-color row being knit with multiple passes of the carriage.
Manual machines: Manually select needles
Double Bed Jacquard Add ribber needles (often full needle rib) to multi-color slip or multi-color tuck to reduce the floats and create a thick, warm fabric.
Manual machines: This is a double bed technique only. If you have a ribber, hand select needles on the main bed and knit multiple passes of the carriage
Jacquard = Knitting in color Double Bed Jacquard = Knitting in color WITH THE RIBBER
Automatic Stitch Patterning
As machine knitters, it's easier to make any kind of Jacquard fabric by using automatic patterning (punchcards or electronics).