Definition of Mumbo jumbo

1. Noun. Language or ritual causing, or intending to cause, confusion.

Generic synonyms: Gibber, Gibberish

Definition of Mumbo jumbo

1. n. Among the Mandingos of the western Sudan, a bugbear by means of which the women are terrified and disciplined by societies of the men, one of whom assumes a masquerade for the purpose; hence, loosely, any Negro idol, fetish, or bugaboo.

Definition of Mumbo jumbo

1. Noun. (historical) A deity or other supernatural being said to have been worshipped by certain West African peoples; an idol. ¹

2. Noun. (religion) Any object of superstition; religious words and/or actions which are seen as superstitious or fraudulent. ¹

3. Noun. Any confusing or meaningless speech; nonsense, gibberish. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Medical Definition of Mumbo jumbo

1. An object of superstitious homage and fear. "The miserable Mumbo Jumbo they paraded." (Dickens) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Mumbo Jumbo

mumbled
mumblenews
mumblenewses
mumbler
mumblers
mumbles
mumbleth
mumblety-peg
mumblety peg
mumbletypeg
mumbling
mumblingly
mumblings
mumbly
mumbo-jumbo
mumchance
mumification necrosis
mumm
mummed
mummeite
mummer
mummeries
mummers
mummery
mummia
mummias
mummichog
mummichogs
mummied

Literary usage of Mumbo jumbo

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle (1908)
"... and all that knew them, and many that did not know them, lie locked, waiting the scrutiny of Tinville. CHAPTER IV MUMBO-JUMBO BUT on the day they call ..."

2. St. Nicholas by Mary Mapes Dodge (1880)
"So mumbo jumbo, with a great deal of twisting and stumping about, ... Of course it would never do for mumbo jumbo to give up the search without pointing out ..."

3. Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science by National Association for the Promotion of Social Science (Great Britain) (1873)
"But they say that there is in intangible, impalpable, mysterious mumbo-jumbo virtue in it, which doubles its commercial value. I asked how, admitting that ..."

4. The Backup Book: Disaster Recovery from Desktop to Data Center by Dorian J. Cougias, E. L. Heiberger, Karsten Koop (2003)
"Enough mumbo jumbo—what does this have to do with troubleshooting? Ethernet uses a layered approach. You can use this structured, layered approach as a ..."

5. The Universal Songster: Or, Museum of Mirth: Forming the Most Complete (1834)
"mumbo jumbo. Л DUCT. Ht.—WHITE man, when him wife love anoder, And, ... But here comes, to settle it, mumbo jumbo. mumbo jumbo ; Bang, de big drum go, &c. ..."

6. The French Revolution: A History. In Three Volumes. by Thomas Carlyle (1837)
"MUMBO-JUMBO. BUT on the day they call Decadi, New-Sabbath, 20 Prairial, 8th June by old style, what thing is this going forward, in the Jardin National, ..."

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