Jumbo was the name of a famous and very large 19th-century African elephant that was used to give rides to children at London Zoo, before being sold in 1882 to Barnum and Bailey's circus.
jump ◆◆◇ /dʒʌ mp/ (jumps , jumping , jumped )
1 VERB If you jump , you bend your knees, push against the ground with your feet, and move quickly upwards into the air. □ [V prep/adv] I jumped over the fence. □ [V n] I'd jumped seventeen feet six in the long jump, which was a school record. □ [V ] Whoever heard of a basketball player who doesn't need to jump? ● N‑COUNT Jump is also a noun. □ [+ in ] She was taking tiny jumps in her excitement.
2 VERB If you jump from something above the ground, you deliberately push yourself into the air so that you drop towards the ground. □ [V prep/adv] He jumped out of a third-floor window. □ [V n] I jumped the last six feet down to the deck. [Also V ]
3 VERB If you jump something such as a fence, you move quickly up and through the air over or across it. □ [V n] He jumped the first fence beautifully.
4 VERB If you jump somewhere, you move there quickly and suddenly. □ [V prep/adv] Adam jumped from his seat at the girl's cry.
5 VERB If something makes you jump , it makes you make a sudden movement because you are frightened or surprised. □ [V ] The phone shrilled, making her jump.
6 VERB If an amount or level jumps , it suddenly increases or rises by a large amount in a short time. □ [V + from ] Sales jumped from $94 million to over $101 million. □ [V + by ] The number of crimes jumped by ten per cent last year. □ [V amount] Shares in Euro Disney jumped 17p. ● N‑COUNT Jump is also a noun. □ [+ in ] …a big jump in energy conservation. [Also V + to ]
7 VERB If someone jumps a queue, they move to the front of it and are served or dealt with before it is their turn. [BRIT ] □ [V n] The prince refused to jump the queue for treatment at the local hospital.
8 VERB [no cont] If you jump at an offer or opportunity, you accept it quickly and eagerly. □ [V + at ] Members of the public would jump at the chance to become part owners of the corporation.
9 VERB If someone jumps on you, they quickly criticize you if you do something that they do not approve of. □ [V + on ] A lot of people jumped on me about that, you know.
10 VERB If someone jumps you, they attack you suddenly or unexpectedly. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Half a dozen sailors jumped him.
11 → see also bungee jumping , high jump , long jump , queue-jumping , show jumping , triple jump
12 PHRASE If you get a jump on something or someone or get the jump on them, you gain an advantage over them. [AM ] □ Helicopters helped fire crews get a jump on the blaze.
13 to jump on the bandwagon → see bandwagon
14 to jump bail → see bail
15 to jump to a conclusion → see conclusion
16 to jump the gun → see gun
17 to jump for joy → see joy
▸ jump in PHRASAL VERB If you jump in , you act quickly, often without thinking much about what you are doing. □ [V P ] The Government had to jump in and purchase millions of dollars worth of supplies.
▸ jump out PHRASAL VERB If you say that something jumps out at you, you mean that it is easy to notice it because it is different from other things of its type. □ [V P + at ] A phrase jumped out at me in a piece about copyright. [Also V P ] COLLOCATIONS jump VERB 6
noun + jump : earnings, prices, profits, rate, sales, shares
jump + adverb : dramatically, sharply
ju mped-u p ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as jumped-up , you disapprove of them because they consider themselves to be more important than they really are. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He's nothing better than a jumped-up bank clerk!
jump|er /dʒʌ mpə r / (jumpers )
1 N‑COUNT A jumper is a warm knitted piece of clothing which covers the upper part of your body and your arms. [BRIT ] □ Isabel had on a simple jumper and skirt. in AM, use sweater 2 N‑COUNT A jumper is a sleeveless dress that is worn over a blouse or sweater. [AM ] □ She wore a checkered jumper and had ribbons in her hair. in BRIT, use pinafore 3 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] If you refer to a person or a horse as a particular kind of jumper , you are describing how good they are at jumping or the way that they jump. □ He is a terrific athlete and a brilliant jumper.
ju mp|er ca |bles N‑PLURAL Jumper cables are the same as jump leads . [AM ]
ju mping-o ff point N‑SING A jumping-off point or a jumping-off place is a place, situation, or occasion which you use as the starting point for something. □ [+ for ] Lectoure is a bustling market town and the best jumping-off point for a first visit to Le Gers.
ju mp jet (jump jets ) N‑COUNT A jump jet is a jet aircraft that can take off and land vertically.
ju mp jock|ey (jump jockeys ) N‑COUNT A jump jockey is someone who rides horses in races such as steeplechases, where the horses have to jump over obstacles.
jump leads /dʒʌ mp liːdz/ N‑PLURAL Jump leads are two thick wires that can be used to start a car when its battery does not have enough power. The jump leads are used to connect the battery to the battery of another car that is working properly. [BRIT ] in AM, use jumper cables