jump

[ juhmp ]

verb (used without object)

1. to spring clear of the ground or other support by a sudden muscular effort; leap:

   to jump into the air;

   to jump out a window.

2. to rise suddenly or quickly:

   He jumped from his seat when she entered.

3. to move or jerk suddenly, as from surprise or shock:

   He jumped when the firecracker exploded.

4. to obey quickly and energetically; hustle:

   The waiter was told to jump when the captain signaled.

5. Informal. to be full of activity; bustle:

   The whole town is jumping with excitement.

6. to start a campaign, program, military attack, etc.; launch an activity, especially of major proportions (usually followed by off ):

   The march jumped off early in the morning.

7. Checkers. to move from one side of an opponent's piece to a vacant square on the opposite side, thus capturing the opponent's piece.
8. to rise suddenly in amount, price, etc.:

   Costs jumped again this quarter.

9. to pass abruptly, ignoring intervening steps or deliberation:

   to jump to a conclusion.

10. to change abruptly:

    The traffic light jumped from green to red.

11. to move or change suddenly, haphazardly, aimlessly, or after a short period:

    He jumped from job to job.

12. to pass or go aimlessly:

    He jumped from one thing to another without being able to concentrate on anything.

13. Digital Technology. to pass instantaneously, and sometimes randomly, to a point out of sequence for entering, recording, or playing back data; skip:

    Notice that when you press "End" the cursor jumps to the end of the line.

    The music streaming service keeps jumping back to the top of the playlist.

14. to parachute from an airplane.
15. to take eagerly; seize (often followed by at ):

    He jumped at the offer of a free trip.

16. to enter into something with vigor (usually followed by in or into ):

    She jumped into the discussion right away.

17. to advance rapidly from one level to another, especially in rank; pass through or skip intermediate stages in a forward or upward progression:

    He jumped from clerk to general manager in a year.

18. Movies. (of a shot or frame) to fail to line up properly with the preceding or following frames because of a mechanical fault in the camera or projector.
19. Bridge. to make a jump bid:

    She jumped from three clubs to four spades.

20. Journalism. (of newspaper copy) to continue on a subsequent page, following intervening copy ( turn ).

verb (used with object)

1. to leap or spring over:

   to jump a narrow stream.

2. to cause to leap:

   She jumped the horse over the fence.

3. to skip or pass over; bypass:

   to jump the third grade in school.

4. to move past or start before (a signal); anticipate:

   One car jumped the red light and collided with a truck.

5. to increase sharply:

   The store jumped its prices.

6. Checkers. to capture (an opponent's piece) by leaping over.
7. to attack or pounce upon without warning, as from ambush:

   The thugs jumped him in a dark alley.

8. to elevate or advance, especially in rank, by causing to skip or pass rapidly through intermediate stages:

   The boss jumped his son from mail clerk to plant manager.

9. Bridge. to raise (the bid) by more than necessary to reach the next bidding level, especially as a signal to one's partner.
10. Informal.
    1. to abscond from; leave:

       The robbers jumped town.

    2. to flee or escape from.
11. to seize or occupy illegally or forcibly (a mining claim or the like), as on the ground of some flaw in the holder's title.
12. (of trains, trolleys, etc.) to spring off or leave (the track).
13. to get on board (a train, bus, etc.) quickly or with little planning or preparation for the trip:

    He jumped a plane for Chicago.

14. Journalism. to continue (a story) from one page to another over intervening copy.
15. Metalworking. to upset; thicken (a bar or the like) by striking the end (often followed by up ).
16. Slang: Vulgar. to engage in an act of sexual intercourse with.
17. to connect (a dead battery) to a live battery by attaching booster cables between the respective terminals.

noun

1. an act or instance of jumping; leap.
2. a space, obstacle, apparatus, or the like, cleared or to be cleared in a leap.
3. a short or hurried journey.
4. a descent by parachute from an airplane.
5. a sudden rise in amount, price, etc.:

   a considerable jump in the stock market.

6. a sudden upward or other movement of an inanimate object.
7. an abrupt transition from one point or thing to another, with omission of what intervenes:

   The speaker made an unexplained jump in topic.

8. a move or one of a series of moves:

   The gangster stayed one jump ahead of the police.

9. Sports. any of several contests that feature a leap or jump. Compare long jump ( def 2 ), high jump ( def 1 ).
10. Movies. a break in the continuity of action due to a failure to match the action of one frame with the following one of the same scene.
11. a sudden start as from nervous excitement:

    He gave a jump when the firecracker went off.

12. Checkers. the act of taking an opponent's piece by leaping over it to an unoccupied square.
13. the jumps, Informal. restlessness; nervousness; anxiety:

    Long trips in trains and planes give me the jumps.

14. Also called breakover. Journalism. the part of a story continued on another page.
15. Mathematics. the difference in limit values at a jump discontinuity of a given function.
16. Automotive. jump-start ( def 1 ).

adjective

1. Jazz.
   1. of, relating to, or characteristic of swing.
   2. of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz; played at a bright tempo.

adverb

1. Obsolete. exactly; precisely.

verb phrase

1. to blame or rebuke; reprimand:

   He'll jump on anyone who contradicts him.

jump

/ dʒʌmp /

verb

1. intr to leap or spring clear of the ground or other surface by using the muscles in the legs and feet
2. tr to leap over or clear (an obstacle)

   to jump a gap

3. tr to cause to leap over an obstacle

   to jump a horse over a hedge

4. intr to move or proceed hastily (into, onto, out of, etc)

   she jumped into a taxi and was off

5. informal.
   tr to board so as to travel illegally on

   he jumped the train as it was leaving

6. intr to parachute from an aircraft
7. intr to jerk or start, as with astonishment, surprise, etc

   she jumped when she heard the explosion

8. to rise or cause to rise suddenly or abruptly
9. to pass or skip over (intervening objects or matter)

   she jumped a few lines and then continued reading

10. intr to change from one thing to another, esp from one subject to another
11. tr to drill by means of a jumper
12. intr of a film
    1. to have sections of a continuous sequence omitted, as through faulty cutting
    2. to flicker, as through faulty alignment of the film
13. tr to promote in rank, esp unexpectedly or to a higher rank than expected
14. tr to start (a car) using jump leads
15. draughts to capture (an opponent's piece) by moving one of one's own pieces over it to an unoccupied square
16. intr bridge to bid in response to one's partner at a higher level than is necessary, to indicate a strong hand
17. tr to come off (a track, rail, etc)

    the locomotive jumped the rails

18. intr (of the stylus of a record player) to be jerked out of the groove
19. slang.
    intr to be lively

    the party was jumping when I arrived

20. informal.
    tr to attack without warning

    thieves jumped the old man as he walked through the park

21. informal.
    tr (of a driver or a motor vehicle) to pass through (a red traffic light) or move away from (traffic lights) before they change to green
22. slang.
    tr (of a man) to have sexual intercourse with
23. jump bail
    to forfeit one's bail by failing to appear in court, esp by absconding
24. jump down someone's throat informal.
    to address or reply to someone with unexpected sharpness
25. jump ship
    to desert, esp to leave a ship in which one is legally bound to serve
26. jump the queue
    See queue-jump
27. jump to it informal.
    to begin something quickly and efficiently

noun

1. an act or instance of jumping
2. a space, distance, or obstacle to be jumped or that has been jumped
3. a descent by parachute from an aircraft
4. sport any of several contests involving a jump

   the high jump

5. a sudden rise

   the jump in prices last month

6. a sudden or abrupt transition
7. a sudden jerk or involuntary muscular spasm, esp as a reaction of surprise
8. a step or degree

   one jump ahead

9. draughts a move that captures an opponent's piece by jumping over it
10. films
    1. a break in continuity in the normal sequence of shots
    2. ( as modifier )

       a jump cut

11. computing another name for branch
12. slang.
    an act of sexual intercourse
13. on the jump informal.
    1. in a hurry
    2. busy and energetic
14. take a running jump informal.
    a contemptuous expression of dismissal

Derived Forms

• ˈjumpingly, adverb
• ˈjumpable, adjective

Other Words From

• jumpa·ble adjective
• jumping·ly adverb
• outjump verb (used with object)
• un·jumpa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of jump¹

First recorded in 1505–15; compare Danish gumpe “to jolt,” gimpe “to move up and down,” Swedish gumpa, Low German gumpen “to jump”

Word History and Origins

Origin of jump¹

C16: probably of imitative origin; compare Swedish gumpa to jump

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get / have the jump on, to get or have a head start or an initial advantage over:

   They got the jump on us in selling the item, but we finally caught up.

2. jump all over, to reprimand or criticize:

   You don't have to jump all over me just because I'm a little late.

3. jump aboard / on board, to join a group, activity, etc., especially one that has been operating or functioning for some time:

   After some hesitation, he jumped aboard and contributed heavily to the campaign.

4. jump in / into with both feet, to join or enter into exuberantly, eagerly, hastily, etc.
5. on the jump, in a hurry; running about:

   Lively youngsters keep their parents on the jump.

6. jump bail. bail ¹( def 7 ).
7. jump down someone's throat. throat ( def 12 ).
8. jump ship. ship ¹( def 16 ).
9. jump the gun. gun ¹( def 17 ).
10. jump the shark. shark ¹( def 2 ).

More idioms and phrases containing jump

• get the drop (jump) on
• go fly a kite (jump in the lake)
• hop, skip and a jump
• not know which way to jump
• one jump ahead of
• skip (jump) bail

Synonym Study

Jump, leap, vault imply propelling oneself by a muscular effort, either into the air or from one position or place to another. Jump and leap are often used interchangeably, but jump indicates more particularly the springing movement of the feet in leaving the ground or support: to jump up and down. Leap (which formerly also meant to run) indicates the passage, by a springing movement of the legs, from one point or position to another: to leap across a brook. Vault implies leaping, especially with the aid of the hands or some instrument, over or upon something: to vault ( over ) a fence.

Example Sentences

The jump from the Big Sky Conference to the SEC had been going great, the points were pouring in, a faucet that couldn’t be stopped.

From Los Angeles Times

There was no surprise that the rate of inflation jumped again, reflecting the recent hike in the energy price cap.

From BBC

But if someone approached him to star opposite Meryl Streep right now, he’d jump at the opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times

Both categories have seen a jump in sales.

From BBC

Although prices are still lower than last winter, the jump in electricity and gas costs comes as support handed out in recent years for bills has been scaled back.

From BBC

Related Words

• bounce
• dive
• drop
• fall
• hurdle
• plunge
• rise
• upsurge
• vault