jumbo

[ juhm-boh ]

noun

, plural jum·bos.

1. a very large person, animal, or thing.
2. jumbo jet.
3. U.S. Nautical.
   1. a forestaysail having a boom jum·bo boom along its foot, used especially on schooners.
   2. a sail used in place of a course on a square-rigged ship, having the form of an isosceles triangle set apex downward.
   3. a narrow triangular sail set point downward in place of a foresail on a topsail schooner.

adjective

1. very large:

   the jumbo box of cereal.

jumbo

/ ˈdʒʌmbəʊ /

noun

1. informal.
   1. a very large person or thing
   2. ( as modifier )

      a jumbo box of detergent

2. See jumbo jet
   See jumbo jet

Word History and Origins

Origin of jumbo¹

First recorded in 1800–10; origin uncertain; popularized as the name of a large elephant purchased and exhibited by P.T. Barnum in 1882

Word History and Origins

Origin of jumbo¹

C19: after the name of a famous elephant exhibited by P. T. Barnum, from Swahili jumbe chief

Example Sentences

On jumbo screens at each end of the hall, we watch our votes being tabulated — arrived at collectively, one per table.

From Washington Post

Such declarations are par for the course here, and their mixture of mumbo-jumbo and outright certainty is enough to make one frequently chuckle.

From The Daily Beast

Cleaned of any shell, jumbo lump crab is first dredged in a mix of eggs, mayonnaise, lemon juice and hot sauce.

From Washington Post

“Hi Mommy, Y in the sky,” he says, expecting me to respond “T in the sky”—clearly mumbo-jumbo to outsiders, though it makes perfect sense to me.

From Quartz

All the market segments covered by our subindexes increased over the month, notably government and jumbo indexes.

From Washington Post

As the driver bios appeared on the jumbo screen, I flashed a toothy grin after noticing that two of them were women.

From The Daily Beast

Please go to BobQ2014.com for details and all that attorney mumbo-jumbo.

From The Daily Beast

They're always trying to upsell you on that jumbo popcorn bucket at the movies.

From The Daily Beast

This was appropriate because just like her jumbo soda, her twenty minute speech was filled with empty calories.

From The Daily Beast

It's really twisted and sick mumbo-jumbo to try to pass this off as part of God's plan.

From The Daily Beast

He had leaped very smartly to this point of vantage, nevertheless he found Jumbo there before him, chattering worse than ever!

From Project Gutenberg

Had his legs been longer, Fred Greenwood would have pronounced him the equal of Jumbo himself.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereupon he asked me, even as you did some time ago, what I meant by Mumbo Jumbo?

From Project Gutenberg

Me Jumbo—come to lay breakfast, and cappen say you hab what you like ask for, especially someting nice for de young lady.

From Project Gutenberg

They kept up the jumbo sail, as the main jib is called; they reefed the foresail down to its smallest compass.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• colossal
• oversized