jumper

¹ American  

[juhm-per] / ˈdʒʌm pər /

noun

1. a person or thing that jumps.

2. Basketball. jump shot.

3. Sports. a participant in a jumping event, as in track or skiing.

4. Manège. a horse specially trained to jump obstacles.

5. a boring tool or device worked with a jumping motion.

6. Also called jump wire.  Electricity. a short length of conductor used to make a connection, usually temporary, between terminals of a circuit or to bypass a circuit.

7. Also called jumper cable.  booster cable.

8. a kind of sled.

9. Also called jumper stay.  Nautical. a line preventing the end of a spar or boom from being lifted out of place.

10. any of various fishes that leap from the water, as the striped mullet or jumprock.

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jumper ² American  

[juhm-per] / ˈdʒʌm pər /

noun

1. a one-piece, sleeveless dress, or a skirt with straps and a complete or partial bodice, usually worn over a blouse by women and children.

2. a loose outer jacket worn especially by workers and sailors.

3. British. a pullover sweater.

4. jumpers, rompers.

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jumper ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒʌmpə /

noun

1. a boring tool that works by repeated impact, such as a steel bit in a hammer drill used in boring rock

2. Also called: jumper cable.   jumper lead.  a short length of wire used to make a connection, usually temporarily, between terminals or to bypass a component

3. a type of sled with a high crosspiece

4. a person or animal that jumps

5. derogatory a person who changes religion; a convert

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jumper ² British  

/ ˈdʒʌmpə /

noun

1. a knitted or crocheted garment covering the upper part of the body

2. Also called: pinafore dress.  a sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or sweater

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Etymology

Origin of jumper¹

First recorded in 1605–15; jump + -er ¹

Origin of jumper²

First recorded in 1850–55; obsolete jump “short coat” (of uncertain origin) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Defending state champion high jumper JJ Harel from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will compete even though he only recently returned to full-time practice.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

North Wales Police said it had also established that the man had been wearing a Pringle jumper which was last manufactured in 2004.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Swapping her usual one-tone trouser suit for a woolly jumper with sparkles, Meloni fielded questions for an hour from the tattoo-covered rapper and his popular co-host.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

“Whenever I come home and I have my St Andrews jumper on, all my other friends take the mick. They’re like, ‘Why are you wearing that?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Christopher’s heart was beating so hard that the griffin, disturbed by its racing thump, backed out of the jumper and cast him a look.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• acrobat